Man found with more than €600k of drugs told gardaí he wanted 'to make a few quid'
A former engineer arrested at Dublin Airport with over €600,000 worth of drugs in his car told gardaí he wanted “to make a few quid”, writes .
Martin Gilroy (34) was sentenced to seven years in prison after pleading guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possessing heroin and cocaine for sale or supply on July 8, 2017 at a car park outside Terminal Two.
The court was toldthat Gilroy, of Dernanaught Road, Galbally, Dungannon, Co Tyrone, was a recovering drug addict who worked as a qualified engineer for a number of years.
Judge Martin Nolan said today he was satisfied Gilroy's role was to hold the drugs and that he was a “valuable player but not a major player” in the drugs offence.
Judge Nolan said Gilroy had been “less than candid” on his involvement and it was “highly unlikely” he was the ultimate owner of the drugs.
“Ultimate owners do not involve themselves in this level of carriage and distribution. The ultimate profit was for other parties,” said Judge Nolan.
A prosecuting garda told Lisa Dempsey BL that Gilroy had “no trappings of wealth” and was there to break the drugs into smaller quantities for others to sell.
“He has nothing to show for it,” said the garda.
The court heard that a co-accused man, who cannot be named as his case is pending before the courts, was spotted leaving Terminal Two as part of routine profiling by Customs.
The man got into a Seat Ibiza and remained there for over two and half hours before getting out again and walking away, whereupon he was arrested by a customs officer.
The car was searched and a loose panel in the passenger side door revealed a wash bag containing two bags of powder.
A further wash bag containing more powder was found in the drinks console beside the gear stick. Gardaí also recovered weighing scales, bags, cellophane and mixing agent in the car.
The drugs were analysed and comprised heroin valued at €140 a gramme worth a total of €591,752 and cocaine at €70 a gramme valued at €16,833. The total value of the drugs seized was €608,585.
While the man was being detained by gardaí, Gilroy contacted Ballymun Garda Station at 1:30am from the North of Ireland, and was told to travel to Dublin Airport.
He travelled by bus to the airport garda station straight away where he was arrested the following morning and claimed full responsibility for the car and drugs.
Gilroy said both the car and the drugs were his own, and that he had left the car in the airport with the key under the back wheel because it was “the safest place” and he feared he was being watched.
He said he had decided the previous night to take the bus to Dublin because he “felt bad” for the other man having been arrested.
Gilroy said the drugs were “to make a few quid” and that he wasn't feeding a habit as he had been “clean a good while now”. Gilroy has ten previous convictions in the North, six of which were for similar drug offences.
Damian Colgan SC, defending, said his client's level of cooperation with gardaí had been “second to none”. The court heard that Gilroy works in the kitchen of Cloverhill Prison and goes to the gym.
Judge Nolan described Gilroy as “a man of intelligence” who was capable of reform and rehabilitation if he wanted to. The sentence was back-dated to July 21.
