Courts / Dublin / Report

Man agreed to import cocaine after threat his son would 'get chopped'

Summary

Joe Donogher, 55, of Ashlawn Park, Ballybrack, was sentenced to 33 months in jail after pleading guilty to transporting almost €150,000 worth of cocaine. He admitted to possessing a 2‑kg quantity of the drug, valued at €143,925, for sale or supply in Sallynoggin, Dublin, on 16 May 2024. Donogher had no prior convictions. Gardaí had set up a surveillance operation and found the drugs in a toolbox he placed in his van. He claimed he accepted the drugs because his son, who was in debt to "unsavoury characters," was threatened with violence if the debt was not paid. Donogher stated that his son's life was at risk and that he was acting to protect him. The court accepted his early guilty plea and his otherwise clean record, and the judge imposed a 33‑month term, a significant departure from the mandatory minimum of ten years.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Man agreed to import cocaine after threat his son would 'get chopped'. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

• May 16, 2024 Hearing Or Sentence
• 2025-11-05 Publication

Why: By Sonya McLean A man has been jailed for 33 months after he agreed to transport almost €150,000 worth of cocaine after he was told that his son was "going to get chopped" because of a drug debt. CNI source report

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Drugs Stage Sentence Violent Crime

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Read the original CNI report