Kerry businessman Nathan McDonnell jailed for 12 years over €32m crystal meth trafficking plot

McDonnell was sentenced to 12 years for drug importation and six years for facilitating organised crime for his involvement in a plot with the Mexican Sinaloa cartel

Nathan McDonnell was sentenced to 12 years for drug importation and six years for facilitating organised crime. Picture: Domnick Walsh

Prominent Kerry businessman Nathan McDonnell has been jailed for 12 years for his involvement in a plot with the Mexican Sinaloa cartel to traffic crystal meth through Ireland.

The quantity of the drugs – the largest ever seized by the state, worth €32.4m — was an aggravating factor, Hon Ms Justice Melanie Greally told his sentencing hearing at the Special Criminal Court today.

So too was the type of drug involved — a highly addictive substance that causes widespread misery and social harm.

McDonnell’s involvement in an international drug cartel linked to drug trafficking, money laundering, and murder was another aggravating factor, she said.

Although McDonnell said that he did not know what was in the machine containing the drugs, his “level of recklessness and indifference was tantamount to knowledge," Justice Greally said.

He had “ample information” regarding the origin of the machine that “enabled him to join the dots" and realize that drugs were involved.

To describe him as “a mere cog in the wheel” was to underestimate his role, Justice Greally said.

He had a high level of trust and responsibility, paying shipping charges in the Port of Cork for the electromagnetic separator machine in which the drugs were concealed. 

He collected the drugs, stored them at his family business, arranged their onward shipping to Australia, and used his own family contacts there to facilitate the shipment. 

He deceived a legitimate business in Australia into arranging the shipping, and he created a false invoice for the onward shipping of the machine.

But he was acting solely on the direction of someone described in court as a ‘named individual.’ He had no financial interest in the drug trafficking operation other than the €150,000 he was due to be paid for storing and shipping the machine containing the drugs.

He was not involved in subterfuge but used his own mobile phone and email address in correspondence regarding the shipment.

But he had “ample information” regarding the origin of the machine that “enabled him to join the dots" and realize that drugs were involved.

He demonstrated a “level of recklessness and indifference that was tantamount to knowledge,” Justice Greally said.

Nathan McDonnell trial: The machine where the drugs were stored before they were due to be shipped to Australia

However, she accepted that he was in a “dire” financial state when he became involved in the plot.

“I accept that Ballyseedy Garden Centre was in a dire financial state.

“I accept that Nathan McDonnell was under immense financial pressure regarding his failing businesses.” He was also facing other personal challenges in life at that time, she noted.

She also accepted that he was in fear of a "named individual" who was directing him in the operation.

But she said that she did not accept that McDonnell was under duress when agreeing to participate in the plot initially.

The headline sentence of 21 years for the drug importation offence and 12 years for facilitating organised crime was mitigated by numerous factors, reducing the sentences to 12 and six years, respectively.

McDonnell’s early guilty plea was noted, as was his cooperation and admissions to Gardaí, although these were only made after he was presented with evidence against him.

His lack of previous convictions, his pro-social pursuits, his involvement in charities, and his role in providing employment through his businesses were also noted.

He was a devoted father to three young boys and had been a “father figure” to his siblings when his parents’ marriage ended.

The most punitive aspect of his sentence would be his absence from the lives of his young sons for the vast majority of their childhood years, Justice Greally said.

The shame and embarrassment brought upon his family were also considered.

She considered his rehabilitation “virtually completed” already and said that these offences were “an aberration” and that he was unlikely to reoffend.

The case was heard by Ms Justice Greally, sitting with Judge Sarah Berkeley and Judge Grainne Malone.

Barrister for McDonnell, Michael Bowman SC, said that his client’s safety would be a concern during the rest of his incarceration. McDonnell suffered a “very violent” assault in Portlaoise Prison at the weekend and required an operation to fix his broken jaw, his solicitor Padraig O’Connell said earlier this week.

He would require additional security features for the remainder of his detention, Mr Bowman said.

Justice Greally noted that there had been nothing in the prisons’ reports to suggest that any such attack was imminent.

But she acknowledged that a lengthy prison sentence would be more onerous on him than on other prisoners.

Mr McDonnell attended court wearing a mask which covered any facial injuries. His hair was neatly gelled back, and wore a white shirt and striped tie.