No prison for Gilligan son caught with cocaine

The son of crime boss John Gilligan yesterday escaped a prison sentence after he was fined €1,100 for possessing €1,000 worth of cocaine.

Darren Gilligan (aged 32) with an address at Weston Green, Lucan in Dublin, had pleaded guilty at Dublin District Court earlier this year to two charges under the Misuse of Drugs Act for possessing a supply of cocaine and possession of the drug with intent to supply, at Parlickstown Drive, in Mulhuddart, in Dublin on November 9 last year.

He also admitted failing to attend his court case on October 16 last which resulted in a bench warrant for his arrest being issued.

Defence solicitor Peter Mullen told Judge Aingeal Ni Chonduin yesterday that Gilligan, a father-of-two, had contacted the gardaí and arranged to have the bench warrant executed.

Mr Mullen also said the Gilligan was anxious for the case to be finalised.

He submitted that Gilligan, an unemployed father of two, had co-operated with the Probation and Welfare Service. Gilligan’s probation officer had some concerns over him and recommended a placement on a residential drug treatment programme.

However, Gilligan did not feel that was required as he is “drug free”.

Mr Mullen also told Judge Ní Chonduin that Gilligan had been willing to undergo urine analysis but there was not enough time for that to be arranged .

“He is confident that if that took place it would show that he is drug free,” Mr Mullen said adding that Gilligan has not been abusing drugs since last March.

He also said that Gilligan had not come to Garda attention since and was hoping to find employment once his court case was finished.

Gilligan told Judge Ní Chonduin that he had been “arrested two or three times for drug searches off the street but there’s no charges”.

Judge Ní Chonduin said she would not “waste the Probation Service’s time any further” and proceeded to finalise the case.

She imposed a €300 fine, with three months to pay and five days’ jail in default, for the charge for simple possession of the drugs. She also gave him a further €800 fine, with three months to pay and five days’ jail in default for the charge of possessing the cocaine for the purposes of sale.

In June, Gilligan had pleaded guilty and was ordered to undergo regular urine tests to prove he was not taking drugs.

Garda Claire O'Callaghan of the Blanchardstown Drug Unit had told the court that on that date, she and two fellow officers had spotted Darren Gilligan standing on a street in Mulhuddart.

She told the court that Gilligan recognised her and began to run.

The gardaí gave chase and saw him drop a bag, which was found to contain €1,000 worth of cocaine.

Gilligan had two previous traffic offences.

The court had been told that unemployed Gilligan was supporting his children but was no longer with their mother.

He had developed a drug problem while he was in his teens and when the offence occurred he had suffered a relapse and had bought the cocaine for his own personal use.

His father, drug lord John Gilligan, is currently serving time in Portlaoise Prison after being found guilty of importing an estimated 20,000kg of cannabis resin over a two-year period.

He was jailed for 28 years - it was later reduced to 20 years - after a jury found him guilty on 11 counts of importing illegal drugs.

In 2001, John Gilligan was also cleared by the non-jury Special Criminal Court of the 1996 murder of journalist Veronica Guerin.

He was also acquitted of arms charges.

Gilligan’s henchman Brian Meehan was found guilty of the killing and is currently serving life in Portlaoise Prison.

The CAB froze John Gilligan's €17m property assets in 1996.

Earlier this year, he failed to secure legal aid at the High Court as part of his battle with the CAB, which is trying to confiscate the properties.