Storing cannabis worth €12m earns courier eight years in jail

A COURIER who delivered and stored a massive quantity of cannabis worth approximately €12 million has been jailed for eight years by Judge Desmond Hogan.

David Dempsey, aged 33, was arrested in Coolock with 500kg of the drug stored in cardboard boxes in the back of his Ford Transit van after he had travelled from the Poitin Stil pub in Rathcoole.

A subsequent search of Dempsey’s home revealed a number of holdall bags stored in his attic and one on his bed containing quantities of cannabis resin. The total quantity of cannabis resin seized was 930kg and this had a market value of approximately €12 million.

Gardaí also found a number of firearms and ammunition in the attic, including a Scorpion machine pistol and nine rounds of ammunition and three magazine clips for it, a 9mm

semi-automatic pistol and a magazine, and two air pistols with a large quantity of pellet balls.

Dempsey, from Belcamp Lane, Coolock, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to two counts of the unlawful possession of cannabis resin worth in excess of 13,000 for sale or supply and the unlawful possession of firearms on August 16, 2002.

Det Sgt Sheehan told Mr Luan O Braonain BL, prosecuting, that Dempsey had been delivering and storing the drugs for a number of months before his arrest and was usually paid per drop. The sums he was earning were in no way in proportion to the amount he was arrested with.

Judge Hogan said the mandatory minimum sentence for the crimes Dempsey had pleaded guilty to was 10 years, but because he admitted the offences and co-operated with gardaí he was entitled to invoke discretion in the sentence that was imposed.

Judge Hogan said it also appeared Dempsey was trusted by ‘the major players’ because, as well as the massive quantity of drugs, he was also employed to store a number of guns and ammunition of serious proportion. This proved he was involved to quite an extent.

Det Sgt Sheehan said Dempsey had been under surveillance throughout the day of his arrest and was observed driving to the Poitin Stil that night. Another man drove off in Dempsey’s van and returned shortly after.

Dempsey took back his van and went the M50 route back to Coolock where he was stopped on Clonshaugh Avenue. He initially denied any knowledge of the drugs in the van but as the interview went on he became more honest and eventually admitted knowing he was carrying cannabis resin.

George Birmingham SC, for Dempsey, said his client was working for some dangerous individuals who he described as “not nice people”. He was working as a courier at the time and his job made him appeal to the major players in the drug industry.

Det Sgt Sheehan agreed with Mr Birmingham that since his arrest there was a serious fire during a party at the rented home on Belcamp Lane he shared with his girlfriend, and Dempsey believed there was something sinister involved.

Mr Birminghan urged Judge Hogan to be as lenient as possible and not to be blinded from the mitigating factors in his client’s favour by the value of the drugs.

“Obviously the massive value is the aspect of the case that jumps out at people, but he had in no way the wealth that was portrayed by the enormous consignment,” Mr Birmingham added.