Courts / Dublin / Report

Hungover man who realised cousin was using car to move drugs is spared jail

Date
2025-02-07

Stage
Sentence

Primary locality
Tallaght

County
Dublin

Summary

A hospital worker from Tallaght has received a fully suspended three-and-a-half-year sentence after pleading guilty to possession of drugs for sale or supply at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Daniel O'Neill, aged 40, admitted the offence relating to an incident on 12 November 2023 at Pinewood Park, Tallaght. The court heard that while hungover, O'Neill had given his cousin a lift to Cabra, where four suitcases containing €360,000 worth of cannabis and cocaine were placed in his vehicle. Upon detecting the smell of cannabis during the return journey to Tallaght, O'Neill realised what had occurred. Two suitcases were transferred to another car under garda surveillance, resulting in O'Neill's arrest within metres. The remaining cases were found to contain €138,568 of cocaine. His cousin and a third man, James Glynn of Claremorris, County Mayo, were also arrested. Judge Martin Nolan determined O'Neill did not merit imprisonment, considering he had been placed in an unfortunate position and had received no payment.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Hungover man who realised cousin was using car to move drugs is spared jail. Charges or matters: possession of drugs for sale or supply on November 12, 2023, at Pinewood Park, Tallaght. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

November 12, 2023 Incident
2025-02-07 Publication

Why: " Mr Baker explained that his client had been out the night before and was hungover when asked by his cousin to go to Cabra. CNI source report

Case subjects

Daniel O'Neill

Accused

Charges: possession of drugs for sale or supply on November 12, 2023, at Pinewood Park, Tallaght (Admitted)

Plea: Guilty

Outcome: Oisín O'Neill was previously handed a three-year prison sentence, with the final six months suspended.

James Glynn

Defendant

Outcome: James Glynn received a suspended four-and-a-half-year sentence last November due to exceptional features of that case, his personal circumstances and other mitigation.