10-year sentence for drug trafficker

A South African convicted drug trafficker has been given a ten years sentence by Judge Frank O’Donnell at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for having of cocaine valued €54,000.

Shaun Coleman ( aged 27) pleaded guilty to having the cocaine for sale or supply on January 8, 2007 at Dublin Airport where he was caught internally transporting it from Brazil via Paris.

Garda Trevor Bolger of the Garda Drug Unit at Santry, said Coleman had being sentenced to 18 months by Manchester Crown Court for the importation of cannabis in 2004 and earlier for 30 months by Oxbridge Crown Court, also for the importation of drugs.

Gda Bolger said that in both cases the courts recommended that Coleman be deported after he completed his sentence.

Judge O’Donnell said while deportation was only transferring the drug trafficking to another country, he too would recommend that Coleman be deported when he completed his sentence.