Courts / Cork / Report
Appeal on "highest sentence in the history of the State" adjourned after prison escort fails to arrive on time
Summary
The Court of Criminal Appeal adjourned the hearing of Perry Wharrie, a 56‑year‑old Englishman from Loughton, Essex, whose appeal against a 30‑year prison sentence for his role in the €440 million drug seizure at Dunlough Bay in 2007 was set to be heard. The appeal was delayed because the prison escort from Portlaoise Prison failed to arrive at the court on time. Wharrie had pleaded not guilty to possession of drugs for sale or supply, was found guilty by a Cork Circuit Criminal Court jury, and was sentenced to 30 years by Judge Seán Ó Donnabháin on 23 July 2008. The Court of Criminal Appeal, comprising Justices McMenamin, Moriarty and Hunt, noted the escort's failure as "not very satisfactory" and adjourned the case to 11 January 2016. The court also remarked that Wharrie had previously been late at a hearing and that prison authorities had been specifically requested to prevent a repeat.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Appeal on "highest sentence in the history of the State" adjourned after prison escort fails to arrive on time. Charges or matters: possession of the drugs for sale or supply. Procedural stage: appeal
When:
- July 2 2007 Incident
- July 23 2008 Incident
- January 11th Adjournment
- 2015-12-14 Publication
Case subjects
Appellant
Charges: possession of the drugs for sale or supply (Alleged Or Contested)
Plea: Not guilty
Outcome: The Court of Criminal Appeal was due to hear evidence today before a fresh sentencing of Perry Wharrie (56), who was given what his lawyers have described as the "highest sentence in the history of the State" for his role in the record €440 million drugs haul which went awry at Dunlough Bay on the Mizen Peninsula, West Cork on July 2 2007. He was unanimously found guilty by a Cork Circuit Criminal Court jury and sentenced to thirty years imprisonment by Judge Seán Ó Donnabháin on July 23 2008.; Photo: Collins) The case of an Englishman who appealed a 30-year prison sentence for his role in the biggest drug seizure in the history of the State has been adjourned until next month after his escort from Portlaoise Prison failed to arrive at the court on time.
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