John Hanley jailed for cannabis importation offence

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

John Hanley was jailed for four years for knowingly permitting the importation of drugs at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on 11 October 2022, after accepting a cannabis delivery worth €1.94 million at his Coolock tile shop.

He pleaded guilty to one count. The offence occurred on 10 October 2020, and the proceedings were reported on 11 October 2022.

The prosecution said the drugs were delivered on a pallet and signed for by a shop worker before gardaí raided the premises and seized them. Hanley took full responsibility, saying he had been threatened and feared for himself and his family; his barrister also told the court he suffered from depression and anxiety and had a history of cannabis use.

Judge Martin Nolan noted Hanley had cooperated with gardaí, made full admissions and pleaded guilty. The judge said a drug-dealing charge would have merited six to eight years, while the Director of Public Prosecutions had proceeded on an importation charge.