Sentencing of four men for smuggling €31m of cocaine into West Cork adjourned due to solicitors' dispute

Due to the resignation of solicitors from the legal aid scheme, the four accused men were left without legal representation, so the prosecution applied for sentencing to be adjourned

The judge adjourned the case until October 28. Picture: Dan Linehan

Sentencing in one of the country’s biggest ever drug hauls — the seizure of €31m worth of cocaine at Courtmacsherry last summer — could not go ahead today because of the resignation of Cork solicitors from the criminal legal aid scheme.

On exactly one year to the day since the massive seizure was made, prosecution senior counsel Donal O’Sullivan said at Cork Circuit Criminal Court that four men were in custody awaiting sentence. 

A two-hour elaboration on the background to the case was to have been given by the prosecution, including a power-point presentation.

However, in light of the resignation of solicitors from the legal aid scheme, the four accused men were left without legal representation, so Mr O’Sullivan on behalf of the prosecution applied for sentencing to be adjourned.

Judge Dermot Sheehan adjourned the case until October 28, when it is anticipated a further date will be set for the sentencing hearing.

The four men — from Scotland, England and Germany — have already confirmed signed pleas of guilty at Cork Circuit Criminal Court to serious drugs charges in respect of the 440kg of cocaine.

40-year-old Mark Doherty, of Waterfoot Avenue, Glasgow, Scotland; 31-year-old Levent Gulay of SchwabenstraBe, Neu Ulm, Bavaria, Germany; 44-year-old Christopher Hibbett of Lower Park, Trissillian, Truro, Cornwall, England; and 39-year-old Ben Sandford of Woodgreen, Drumm Road, Keith, Moray, Scotland, all pleaded guilty to charges under the Misuse of Drugs Act, including the count of possession of more than €13,000 worth of cocaine for the purpose of sale or supply. 

The €13,000 figure is the threshold for a possible minimum sentence of 10 years, unless there are exceptional circumstances, and up to life imprisonment.

They also all confessed to importing the cocaine at Meelmane, Courtmacsherry, Co Cork, on July 1, 2025.

All four also admitted possession of an article in connection with the commission of a crime on the same day. Mr Doherty and Mr Levant pleaded guilty to possession of mobile phones in connection with the commission of a crime, while Mr Sandford and Mr Hibbet both confessed to possession of a rigid inflatable boat in connection with the commission of a crime.

Various reports including probation or prison governor’s reports were previously sought by senior counsel Jane Hyland, Ray Boland, Alice Fawsett and Elizabeth O’Connell, respectively, for defendants, Mark Doherty, Ben Sandford, Christopher Hibbett and Levent Gulay.