Courts / Kilkenny / Report
10 years for 'wholesaler' caught with over €1.8m in cocaine and three handguns
Summary
Paul Bourke, aged 56, was sentenced to ten years' imprisonment after pleading guilty to eight counts, including possession of cocaine for sale, possession of €18,100 in cash from criminal proceeds, and possession of three Glock 17 pistols. The offences occurred across several locations: his home in Tullyvolty, Johnstown, Co Kilkenny; Ballygall Parade, Finglas, Co Dublin; Tallaght, Co Dublin; and Ashbourne, Co Meath. On 3 November 2023, Bourke was arrested in Finglas after a Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau operation, following a confidential tip‑off. He was observed leaving his Kilkenny home in a transit van, dropping packages in Tallaght, Ashbourne and Finglas, where each package was seized and the recipients arrested. The Tallaght package contained just over €70,000 of cocaine; the Ashbourne and Finglas packages each held over €17,000 of cocaine. In Finglas, his van contained €18,100 in cash.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: 10 years for 'wholesaler' caught with over €1.8m in cocaine and three handguns. Charges or matters: eight counts relating to the possession of cocaine for sale or supply, the possession of €18,100 in cash which was the proceeds of crime and the possession of three Glock 17 pistols, all on November 3, 2023. Procedural stage: sentence
When:
- November 3, 2023 Incident
- 2024-12-16 Publication
Case subjects
Defendant
Charges: eight counts relating to the possession of cocaine for sale or supply, the possession of €18,100 in cash which was the proceeds of crime and the possession of three Glock 17 pistols, all on November 3, 2023 (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: He said had Bourke just been a transporter delivering the drugs, he would have set a headline sentence of six or seven years, "but this was a more serious matter". "He was a wholesale distributor of these drugs and there were guns as well," Judge Nolan said. He backdated the sentence to last year when Bourke first went into custody.
Places mentioned
- Dublin
- Dublin Circuit Criminal Court
Topics
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