Seven years for man who drove car containing cocaine

A man who was offered money to drive a car which contained €140,000 worth of cocaine from Dublin city to another location has been sentenced to seven years.

Bernard McNeill admitted he had “run into financial difficulties” and had “met a man in a pub” who told him if he drove the car from “A to B”, he would get €500.

McNeill (aged 37) of Windmill Park, Crumlin pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of 1,919.1 grammes of cocaine valued at €139,370 at Windmill Road on October 16, 2009.

Detective Garda Pat Fagan told Mr Garret Baker BL, prosecuting, that he observed McNeill driving a blue Rover car.

He indicated to McNeill to pull over and on searching the car, a plastic bag containing two packages of cocaine wrapped in silver tape was located in the driver’s foot well.

McNeill, who has two previous convictions, admitted that he was asked to “pick up the car in town and to drive it back to apartments at Windmill Road”, and that he was to then “walk away”.

The father-of-two said he was “doing it for cash” as he had money problems.

“I know it was stupid but I wasn’t thinking straight and money took over,” he told gardaí.

Det Gda Fagan agreed with Ms Mary Ellen Ring SC, defending, that the offence was “totally out of character”, and that McNeill had accepted he made a serious mistake

“He also accepts he was made an offer and is now going to pay a serious penalty,” said Ms Ring.

Judge Patrick McCartan noted the significant quantity of the drugs and said the courts “must continue to send a message to warn people not to get involved”. He suspended the final three years of the sentence.