Pair jailed over drugs found in pub car park

TWO Dublin men charged in connection with a €510,000 cannabis and cocaine haul in Trim in 2006 were given prison sentences of seven and 10 years at the Circuit Court in Trim last week.

Judge Michael O'Shea heard the drugs had been found in pallets of confectionary in a van in the car park of Jack Quinn's pub at Scurlogstown.

The judge said that if the drugs had been allowed into society, they would have had a devastating effect and those who got involved in the drugs trade needed to know the serious consequences, if convicted.

Gary Doran (32), with an address at Oriel Street, Dublin, was jailed for 10 years and 23 year-old Jason Rooney, Spring Gardens, Ballybough, Dublin, was given a seven-year sentence for possession of herb cannabis and cocaine, worth over €13,000, for sale or supply at Scurlogstown, Trim, on 5th August 2006. Both men pleaded guilty to the charge.

Detective-Garda Louise Brady of the Garda National Drugs Unit told the court that she had been on surveillance at the Horizon Logistics Park in Dublin when a van driven by Gary Doran had collected three pallets for which he paid €625 by postal order.

She said that the surveillance unit then followed him from the logistics park to the car park of Jack Quinn's pub at Scurlogstown. She told the court that Gary Doran got out of the van and into a car driven by Jason Rooney. Gardai followed and stopped that car.

Judge O'Shea heard that they searched both men and found nothing, but found 18kg of herbal cannabis and 5kg of cocaine, worth an estimated €510,000, under the pallets of confectionary in the van.

The court heard that both men were interviewed by the Gardai, and while nothing was gained from interviewing Doran, Rooney indicated that he had been paid €200 to drive Doran back to Dublin.

Det-Garda Brady said that Rooney was surprised at the quantity of drugs seized and its value. He told her he knew Doran had been acting as a courier, and while he knew there were drugs involved, he didn't how much.

Witness said that both defendants had previous convictions.

She said that Doran had been in custody since the offence was detected and was the middle child of five siblings. He had left school at 13 or 14 with no qualifications and had learned to read and write in prison.

She agreed with Mr Roderick O'Hanlon, BL, that Doran had an alcohol and drug abuse habit from when he left school and the reason he got involved in this incident was to pay back a debt he owned.

She agreed with Mr Giollaiosa O Lideadha, SC, that Jason Rooney had given the Gardai important assistance in bringing the case against him as no drugs had been found on him or in the car. He had been on the bottom rung of participation in the offence.

Mr O'Hanlon told Judge O'Shea that Doran had got involved to clear a debt and that he had been unaware of the quantity or type of drugs involved. He said there was nothing to suggest that he was benefiting financially from the drugs trade.

Mr O'Hanlon said that the defendant accepted responsibility for what he had done and recognised matters he had to deal with in order to stay out of trouble in the future.

Thomas Rooney, Jason Rooney's father, said his son was one of seven children and they were a close family. None of his other children had been in rouble.

He said that, up until the offence, his wife had been in good health and she had deteriorated over the past 18 months. He told the court he had heard his son crying because of what he had done and the consequences for his mother.

Nicholas Duffy said he had employed Jason Rooney for the past three years and he had been an excellent worker.

Mr O Lideadha said that Rooney had a consistent work history and was a loving and devoted father of two.