Louth man threw cocaine out car window as Gardaí gave chase

By Francis Carroll, The Drogheda Independent

A man who threw a package of cocaine from a car as it was being chased by gardaí has been found guilty by a jury of drugs and money laundering charges.

Martin Moran (50), Ferdia Park, Ardee, was remanded in custody for sentencing following a four-day trial at Dundalk Circuit Court.

He denied possession and possession for sale or supply of 126.7g of cocaine valued €8,869 and money laundering of €1,250 on the old Dundalk Road at Clonkeehan, Ardee.

The defendant said that he got into the car to pay off his son’s drug debt when gardaí came on the scene and that it was the driver who threw out the drugs.

However, after deliberating for just shy of three-and-a-quarter hours the jury returned unanimous “guilty” verdicts on all three counts.

Gda Gareth Moran gave evidence that at 9.30pm on October 20, 2023, he was behind the wheel of a Garda Audi Q7, accompanied by Gda Dessie McGarry, heading to Ferdia Park when at the entrance to the estate he saw a red Northern Ireland-registered Vauxhall Insignia parked on a footpath facing towards Ardee.

He pulled up alongside this car. Both drivers’ windows were down. The other driver said he was there to meet a friend who was in the passenger seat.

He said this man’s name was Martin Maughan before the defendant corrected him and said that his name was Martin Moran.

Gda Moran continued that he asked the driver to remain where he was. He started to reverse the Audi to park when he heard the Vauxhall’s wheels spinning before it took off.

The witness said he tried to stop the car, but it struck the back driver’s side of his vehicle and he briefly lost control.

The Insignia sped off and joined the N52 towards Dundalk.

At Mapastown Bridge over the River Glyde, the jury heard that the Garda vehicle tried to overtake as there was no oncoming traffic. However, the car cut if off, hitting the passenger side.

Gda Moran went into a ditch before regaining control and taking up the pursuit once more.

At Clonkeehan the two guards saw a white package being thrown out the car’s passenger window.

The chase went on towards Duffy’s Cross, and again the Garda Audi tried to overtake. The Vauxhall cut across in front. A collision occurred. The car went into a spin and ended up in a ditch.

The two men inside were handcuffed and placed on the ground. A mobile phone was located on the passenger seat and €1,250 cash in loose notes in Mr Moran’s right-hand pocket.

The money was counted in front of him. He said it was his and confirmed that it was the right amount.

Barrister Ronan O’Carroll, instructed by solicitor Darren Gray, put it to Gda Moran that his statement said the package was thrown out in the townland of Corballis.

The officer said it was on the N52 at Clonkeehan.

Gda McGarry testified that he returned to the spot where the package had been thrown out. He was with colleagues who had arrived to lend assistance.

The witness said he took the location as Corballis which was on the Audi’s satnav as they travelled along the road earlier.

The court heard that Gda Jack Farrell was in Ardee Garda Station when alerted to the initial ramming.

Accompanied by Gda Keenan, they encountered the two vehicles stopped in a ditch just short of Duffy’s Cross.

Gda Farrell printed off a map and on it indicated where the package was found and where the pursuit ended. Both locations were in Clonkeehan, 1 km apart.

It was put to the witness by Mr O’Carroll that the accused saw him when he left his house in Ferdia Park before he got into the Insignia.

Gda Farrell replied that he was sitting in Ardee Garda Station when the call came in.

Martin Moran testified that he was born in Drogheda. He had four children and was not married.

His second eldest son Ciarán ran up a drugs debt. He got €1,250 to pay it and at 9.10pm received a call to meet someone at Apache Pizza.

The accused said that he was only in the car a couple of seconds when gardaí pulled up.

He didn’t know what was happening. The car driver rammed the Garda vehicle and drove off.

Mr Moran said that he tried to open the door to jump out. It was locked. He shouted at the driver to stop.

He continued that his window went down and “a package was flying out the passenger side”. He couldn’t say what it was. The driver threw it out the window.

The witness told prosecuting counsel Steven Dixon that he got the money from doing “nixers”. He used to have his own kitchen company. He was on disability allowance.

He said that the driver was trying to escape gardaí for his own benefit. Mr Moran added that he was not in possession of any drugs.

After the verdicts came in, Judge Dara Hayes adjourned sentencing to May 6, remanding the defendant in custody.