Courts / Dublin / Report

Council employee caught moving cannabis in work lorry avoids jail

Date
2025-01-28

Stage
Sentence

Primary locality
Dublin City

County
Dublin

Summary

Tony Ward, a 53‑year‑old Dublin City Council employee, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possessing drugs for sale or supply on 10 May 2023. He admitted that he had transported a package of cannabis, worth €6,000, in his work lorry after being approached by co‑accused Michael Little, who had already pleaded guilty to the same offence and received an 18‑month suspended sentence earlier that year. Garda Tara Higgins explained that officers had been monitoring the area following Little's suspicious behaviour; Ward was stopped and arrested when the package was discovered. Ward's defence argued that he acted as a drug mule because his son owed a drug debt. Judge Martin Nolan accepted that Ward was pressured by his son's drug habit, noted his long work history and unlikely re‑offending, and sentenced him to 18 months in prison, suspended in full on strict conditions.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Council employee caught moving cannabis in work lorry avoids jail. Charges or matters: having drugs for sale or supply on May 10, 2023; the same offence and received an 18-month suspended sentence earlier this year. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

May 10, 2023 Incident
2025-01-28 Publication

Why: Ward claimed he got involved in the offence because his son owed a drug debt. CNI source report

Case subjects

Michael Little

Co Accused

Charges: the same offence and received an 18-month suspended sentence earlier this year (Admitted)

Plea: Guilty

Tony Ward

Accused

Charges: having drugs for sale or supply on May 10, 2023; the same offence and received an 18-month suspended sentence earlier this year (Admitted)

Plea: Guilty

Outcome: Judge Nolan sentenced Ward to 18 months in prison which he suspended in full on strict conditions.