Smuggler said he’d mended his ways
Patrick Scanlon, aged 54, originally from Lougill, Co Limerick, and also with an address in Jersey, had denied four charges of importing drugs for sale or supply.
Alice Fawsitt, defending, said Scanlon had chronic drug and gambling problems.
Judge Carroll Moran said given it was a second offence under the act, he imposed a 15-year sentence.
Scanlon hit international headlines in 2001 when he ran a marathon around Limerick prison yard while serving his sentence.
He got temporary release in 2005 to do a double marathon from Ballybunion to Limerick for charity.
After his release in 2006, he was featured on the RTÉ series Would You Believe in which he told how he had turned his life around by raising funds for charities.
His eight-day trial at Limerick Circuit Court was told how undercover garda using a DHL courier van, delivered a box to an address in Pallaskenry village after it was found to contain drugs when it arrived in Shannon Airport from Malaga, Spain, on August 8 last.
A chef, Stephen Quinn, told the trial that in June 2013, Scanlon turned up at his house at 18 Church View, Pallaskenry. The accused, who the witness had not met for 10 years, asked if he would help set up a new restaurant in Askeaton.
After the plan fell through, Scanlon asked him if he would accept delivery of a package that contained “bits and bobs” which he had bought for the restaurant. Mr Quinn agreed.
Mr Quinn said when a courier arrived on August 8, he went outside to collect the package. Moments later, gardaí entered his house with a search warrant.
Garda David Boland said he took part in an operation on August 8. The garda’s part of the operation was to deliver the package to Pallaskenry using a DHL van, wearing a DHL uniform.
Det Garda Pat Crowley said at 1.10pm on August 8, he saw a red VW Golf pass his van in Pallaskenry. He recognised Scanlon who was in the front passenger seat.
This car drove down the village and returned a few minutes later.
There were two gardaí standing outside Mr Quinn’s house wearing Garda raid jackets and baseball caps.
The court heard Scanlon was stopped by gardaí in Clarina and brought to Henry Street garda station.
He denied involvement with the drugs addressed to the house in Pallaskenry.
Judge Moran, passing sentence, said Scanlon had lied in his evidence and when in garda custody.
