Man who imported drugs into Cork in a secret compartment in his car withdraws sentence appeal

The man who imported the drugs drove from his home in Wales onto a ferry in Stranraer going to Larne and from Northern Ireland to Cork

Julius Sobul was arrested after gardaí moved in on a drugs transaction taking place in the car park of the Radison Hotel in Little Island and uncovered a €160,000 stash of cannabis and a bag containing €39,500 in cash. File picture

The Court of Criminal Appeal warned that a man appealing a six-year prison sentence for importing drugs into Cork using a specially adapted secret compartment in his car should think carefully about his challenge to the jail term as he might end up with a sentence of 10 years or even more.

After a brief adjournment of the appeal — following the comments from Mr Justice John Edwards — the accused man, 44-year-old Julius Sobul of Collingwood Avenue, Newport, Gwent, Wales, returned to court to indicate that he was withdrawing his appeal.

Mr Justice Edwards told the defendant through an interpreter that he had been well advised by his senior counsel Elizabeth O’Connell to withdraw his appeal and serve out his sentence.

The remarks from Mr Justice Edwards at the Court of Criminal Appeal sitting in Cork, were that there had been what he called a "glaring error in in how this matter was dealt with".

He said that the particular drug-dealing offence carried a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years which could only be reduced where there was an express finding of special circumstances and that those circumstances were not set out in the sentencing hearing.

“There is no express finding in this case. The judge was not asked by the prosecution to make such a finding… or asked by the defence.

“If we come to re-sentence (Mr Sobul), if we took the view there was an error and clearly it seems it was an error, we might well be obliged to impose that 10 years. And we cannot make a finding of special circumstances, where the court below has not done so, it is not open to us to do that.

“That is not to say that special circumstances could not be inferred from the evidence but there are difficulties in the case in your (Mr Sobul’s) case and I think you ought to reflect and decide whether it would be wise to press this appeal,” Mr Justice Edwards said.

Ms O’Connell said after an adjournment: “With some pain on Mr Sobul’s part, he instructs me to withdraw his appeal.” The judge said: “I think he has been well advised.” 

Sentencing

Detective Garda Ruairí McGovern said at the sentencing hearing that gardaí moved in on a drugs transaction taking place in the car park of the Radison Hotel in Little Island and uncovered a €160,000 stash of cannabis and a bag containing €39,500 in cash.

The man who imported the drug drove from his home in Wales to Blackpool in the UK where the eight kilos of cannabis were hidden in a secret compartment that was created under the backseats of his car. He then drove with the drugs by ferry from Stranraer to Larne and from Northern Ireland to Cork.

43-year-old Julius Sobul of Collingwood Avenue, Newport, Gwent, Wales, was charged by Garda Ruairi McGovern on counts that included, having more than €13,000 worth of cannabis for sale or supply and importing drugs with a similar value.

Judge Dermot Sheehan imposed a sentence of seven years with the last year suspended at Cork Circuit Criminal Court.

Blaise O’Carroll senior counsel for the defence at the sentencing said: “He is extremely sorry, he was inveigled into his participation and he asks for mercy.” 

Det. Garda McGovern said gardaí observed a transaction taking place in the car park of the Radisson Hotel in Little Island, County Cork, between the occupants of two vehicles and when officers moved in to carry out a search they found €160,000 worth of cannabis and €39,500 in cash on the occasion on December 19, 2023.

“He was arrested, conveyed to Mayfield garda station, questioned and on interview he acknowledged that he placed eight kilos of cannabis into the co-accused’s vehicle after he received the bag of money,” the detective testified.

Judge Dermot Sheehan said: “This car was specially adapted for this purpose to bring contraband from the UK to Cork and you did all this for £500 (Sterling).

You did this because you had substantial debts and you were under pressure to do something. 

"Unfortunately, you decided to get involved in this. You signed pleas of guilty.

“This was an elaborate plan to import this. You admitted you first had a trial run and then did this. You did this under a lot of pressure in your life. Guards accept it was out of character.”