The Court of Appeal has upheld Trevor Williamson’s ten-year sentence, with the final two years suspended, for his role in a cannabis operation involving drugs worth €1.375 million in Cork.
The case arose from a Garda surveillance operation on 28 September 2012. Williamson met Michael O’Connell at Mahon Point Shopping Centre before driving O’Connell’s car to a house on Boreenmanna Road. Gardaí watched Williamson carry nine boxes from the house into the boot, with Jerome O’Halloran helping with the final box.
The car was later stopped after O’Connell took over driving. The nine boxes contained 99kg of cannabis resin worth €594,000. A subsequent search of O’Halloran’s house uncovered further drugs worth €781,500.
Williamson pleaded guilty to a section 15A drugs offence and received ten years with the final two suspended. His appeal focused mainly on the much lighter sentence imposed on O’Halloran, who received six years fully suspended.
The Court of Appeal accepted that O’Halloran had been treated very leniently, but found substantial differences between the two men. O’Halloran immediately admitted the presence of drugs, disclosed their locations and provided material assistance to Gardaí. Williamson initially denied knowledge, then claimed he believed he was moving cigarettes and gave a false account before changing his position when confronted with surveillance evidence.
The court also accepted that Williamson played a more significant role. He had arranged storage and distribution and had recruited O’Halloran, who was to receive €1,000 for storing the drugs.
Given the scale of the seizure and the statutory ten-year presumptive minimum for section 15A offences, the appeal court found no error of principle. It said the sentence imposed was well within the available range and dismissed the appeal.