Mr Needham received eight-year sentence for drug offence

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

Mr Needham received an eight-year prison sentence for unlawful possession of controlled drugs worth €13,000 or more under section 15A of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1977.

His sentence was recorded in a Court of Appeal judgment delivered by Ms. Justice Kennedy on 22 October 2019. The appeal concerned his co-accused, Mr Morrow, who was challenging the severity of his own sentence.

On 25 July 2015, gardaí undertook surveillance following confidential information about a suspected consignment of controlled drugs. They followed a truck to Newcourt Business Park on St Margaret’s Road.

The judgment identified Mr Needham as the truck’s driver. He and Mr Morrow were observed unloading pallets filled with boxes from the truck. Gardaí intervened after the boxes had been moved inside a container unit.

A search recovered 96.7 kilogrammes of cannabis with a street value of €580,200 and 400,000 Zopiclone tablets with a street value of €800,000. Both men were arrested.