Man loses bid to leave jail in March

An Irishman transferred to a jail here after being convicted in England in late 2006 on drugs charges has lost his High Court action aimed at securing his release next March.

Mr Justice David Keane rejected arguments by Vincent Sweeney, whom the judge described as having “no known previous convictions”, that his continued imprisonment here after March 29 would breach the Transfer of Sentenced Persons Acts or was contrary to the principles of the Council of Europe Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons.

Sweeney, aged 51, with an address at Glendallon, Ballytivnan, Co Sligo, and Robert McGowan, aged 43, of Cartron Estate, Co Sligo, were jailed in December 2006 for 16 years and 18 years respectively after being convicted of smuggling some €3m worth of heroin and cannabis into England.

Their trial at Canterbury Crown Court heard that, on March 28, 2006, an Irish-registered horsebox vehicle driven by Sweeney with McGowan as passenger was intercepted by UK Customs Officers at Eastern Docks in Dover. Some 25kg of heroin and 600kg of cannabis resin were discovered in a concealed compartment.

The trial judge described Sweeney as “a weak man who joined the enterprise due to his expertise with horses”.

Sweeney is now detained in Loughan House open prison in Cavan on foot of a High Court warrant in October 2008 under the Transfer of Sentenced Persons Acts.

The judge yesterday ruled that the continued detention of Sweeney here is in accordance with law and will remain so after March 29.