'Transporter of misey' jailed for 14 years

A man caught with cannabis resin valued €12m has been jailed for 14 years at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court by Judge Desmond Hogan who described him as "a transporter of misery".

Patrick Long (aged 44), of Saddleirs Well, Tipperary and Coliemore Road, Dalkey, Co Dublin pleaded guilty to having almost one tonne of the drug on May 29, 2003 for sale or supply.

Detective Sergeant Greg Sheehan said he and his colleague Detective Garda Pat Kirwan found the drugs on two pallets on Long’s lorry when they stopped him at Victoria Quay, Dublin 8.

Long is to appear again in the court on March 7 next for a hearing as to forfeiture of his assets as a result of this conviction.

Det Sgt Sheehan told prosecuting counsel, Mr Fergal Foley BL, that Long was apprehended in the course of a surveillance operation carried out by the Garda National Drugs Unit.

Long admitted his role in the crime and further admitted he was to be paid €40,000 for carrying the cache. He had previously been paid €20,000 for two other drugs loads.

Defence counsel, Mr Patrick Gageby SC (with Ms Una Ni Raifeartaigh BL), said his client became involved in the drugs operation because "greed got the better of him". He had been paid well initially for smuggling in a large amount of gold Krugerrands to Ireland.

Mr Gageby submitted that the court was entitled to take into consideration in deciding sentence that the drug involved was cannabis and that Long had remained out of trouble for the first 42 years of his life. He had also put his hands up when arrested and pleaded guilty.

Judge Hogan noted that while section 15a of the Misuse of Drugs Act provided for a possible minimum mandatory 10 years sentence, it also provided for a possible life sentence.

Even though Long didn’t own the lorry on which he carried the drugs he knew what he had in the pallets and the amount while he might not have known the value. He was to be paid well for this job in the amount of €40,000 and had previously been given two €20,000 fees for similar work.

"It is a misnomer to simply call him a drugs courier. It seems to me he was more a transporter, a transporter of misery to the unfortunates who would ultimately wind up buying the drugs."

Judge Hogan said he accepted it was nothing but greed that got Long involved. He was not a young person but was 42 years old at the time and must have know the consequences of it.

Judge Hogan, who refused leave to appeal severity of sentence, said that while he didn’t carry hard drugs it would be inappropriate to impose a sentence of less than 10 years despite the discretion the legislation gave the court.

"The court must have regard to the maximum sentence laid down for drug dealing and he was doing this for monetary gain which is an aggravating factor."