Evan Dunne jailed for cocaine possession in Dublin court

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

Evan Dunne was sentenced to seven years in prison, with the final four years suspended, at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on 8 April 2019. Judge Pauline Codd backdated the sentence to November 2018, when he first went into custody.

Dunne pleaded guilty to possessing cocaine for sale or supply. The offence took place at a car park in Dowdstown, Maynooth, Co Kildare, on 15 February 2018. The proceedings were reported on 8 April 2019.

Gardaí stopped Dunne in a van following a tip-off. Detective Garda David McKinley said a search of the van uncovered a holdall containing seven packages, later identified as blocks of cocaine with an estimated street value of just over €492,400.

Judge Codd said the value of the drugs was the most serious aggravating factor and that there had been some planning, as Dunne had bought the van the previous day. She noted that he had told a probation officer he committed the offence to obtain funds for his garage business.

The judge ordered four years of Probation Service supervision and directed Dunne to follow all its directions, including victim empathy work and engagement with therapeutic supports.