Man admits attempting to blackmail ex-councillor

A MAN who blackmailed a former Fianna Fáil councillor using pictures of him allegedly taking cocaine has entered a guilty plea in the middle of his trial.

Wesley Higgins, aged 33, attempted to extort €5,000 from Liam Kelly by threatening to give such pictures to a newspaper.

Higgins, of Dundaniel Road, Kilmore, Coolock, had pleaded not guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to demanding money with menaces between August 6 and 12, 2006.

Midway through the trial, after lengthy legal argument, Higgins changed his plea to guilty before the jury.

He was remanded on continuing bail after the prosecution said there was no objection to him remaining free until sentencing.

Judge Desmond Hogan set a sentencing date for January 27, before thanking the jury and dismissing them. Higgins faces a maximum sentence of 14 years.

Mr Kelly said he had always maintained his innocence and felt “vindicated” by the guilty plea. He said he would not make a further statement until after the sentencing “out of respect for the court.”

The five-day trial was dominated by the cross-examination of Mr Kelly. He repeatedly denied taking cocaine but said he suffered from blackouts due to his alcoholism and can remember little of the night.

Mr Kelly said he represented Finglas Glasnevin on Dublin City Council from 2004 to 2009. He told Tony McGillicuddy, prosecuting, that he knew Higgins “superficially”.

In early August 2006, Higgins called and invited him to a party. He went to the party with Higgins and an unnamed female.

Mr Kelly said Higgins left a message the next night stating the female they were with at the party had taken photographs of him and wanted money for them.

The message continued that Higgins was acting as a “middleman” and the woman wanted €5,000 for the photos. Higgins added that he needed to be “looked after” as well.

A final message added that the pictures showed the councillor snorting cocaine.

On August 8, Mr Kelly was confronted in the street by a Sunday newspaper reporter who asked him to come to his car to view the photos allegedly showing him taking cocaine.

He went to the journalist’s car and identified himself in a photograph of him “inhaling a white powdery substance”. He said it wasn’t cocaine and that he wanted more time to explain.

Mr Kelly later went to the gardaí and made a complaint alleging blackmail.