Soccer star pleads for leniancy for drug addict friend

Former soccer international Martin Lawlor appealed for leniency at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for a man caught transporting cocaine after he fell into drug addiction following the suicide of his best friend.

Keith Hyland, aged 32 of East Road, East Wall was jailed for five years after he pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine valued at €70,000 for sale or supply at the Malahide Road on May 4, 2005.

Mr Lawlor told Judge Martin Nolan that he knew Hyland "most of my life" through his "sterling work" in a voluntary and charitable capacity in East Wall where he also grew up.

He said Hyland had suffered the tragic loss of his parents in his teenage years and more recently the suicide of his best friend which had a "cataclysmic effect" on him, leading to "usage problems".

Mr Lawlor, who works as a health educator through his East Wall based business, The Life Centre, said Hyland had started to address his problems and was regaining a sense of self worth and confidence.

He said Hyland was "respected in the community" and pointed out a group of "about 20 people" that had come to court from the East Wall to support Hyland. He said he believed Hyland was now free of drugs.

Judge Nolan told Hyland: "The legislation under which you have been charged was enacted by the Oireachtas to protect communities such as the one you live in and carries a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years except in the case of exceptional and specific circumstances."

He noted Hyland’s work in the community,, his early guilty plea and his co-operation with gardai and said he was not taking his three previous convictions into account as they were minor offences.

He imposed a five year sentence and told Hyland: "People make mistakes and it is unfortunate that your mistake was so serious."

Detective Garda Louise Brady told Mr Stephen McCann BL, prosecuting, that on foot of confidential information they mounted a surveillance operation and observed a meeting between Hyland and his co-accused Dean Burke at Clarehall Shopping Centre.

The two got into a car with a green bag and were followed by gardai to the Malahide Road where they were stopped and searched. Cocaine valued at €70,000 was found inside the bag and the two men were arrested.

Det Gda Brady agreed with Ms Isobel Kennedy SC, defending, that Hyland was shocked when gardai told him the value of the drugs and that he was in "legitimate fear" of other people involved. She also agreed that he was to receive "hundreds rather then thousands" for transporting the drugs.

Det Gda Brady agreed he told gardai: "I am sorry. I have let my family down. It is the worst day of my life."

Ms Kennedy said Hyland had a strong work history and had also carried out voluntary work with the East Wall Celtic Football Club as well as taking part in collections for Temple Street Hospital.

She said Hyland was "totally ashamed and wishes to make amends". She said he had co-operated with gardai "given the restraints he was under due to fear" and had made "trojan efforts at rehabilitation".