Court rejects appeal in €5.75m heroin case

The CCA has rejected an appeal brought by a father of six against the 15-year prison sentence he received for possessing heroin valued €5.75m, one of the largest-ever seizures of heroin in the State.

In November 2007, Alan Coffey, a 33-year-old electrician and father of six, from The Lane, Foxlodge Woods, Ratoath pleaded guilty to having possession of the heroin for sale or supply on June 24, 2006 at his home.

He also admitted being in possession of a 9mm Glock semi-automatic pistol at Brookvale Road, River Valley, Swords on the same occasion.

Judge Patricia Ryan at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court sentenced Coffey to a total of 15 years in prison.

Coffey, a qualified electrician, appealed against the severity of that sentence, on grounds including that Judge Ryan had not taken all the mitigating circumstances into account before imposing the 15-year term.

Opposing the appeal Mr Dominic McGinn Bl said there was nothing in Mr Coffey's case that showed that the 15-year sentence was excessive.

Today the three Judge Court of Criminal of Mr Justice Adrian Hardiman presiding sitting with Mr Justice Roderick Murphy and Justice Peter Charleton dismissed Coffey's appeal.

Mr Justice Hardiman said that the CCA could find no error with Judge Ryan's sentence, which in this case "could not be criticised".

The court heard in June 2006 that Coffey was under surveillance after gardaí received confidential information.

A search of Coffey's Meath home revealed two large boxes of 28.75Kg of €5.75m worth of heroin in the kitchen.

Coffey told gardaí that the drugs were cocaine and he was taking responsibility for it.

A search of the Passat outside his home revealed a semi-automatic pistol.