A Roscommon man who admitted possessing cannabis to the value of €3.9
million is to be sentenced later this month.
Justin McCormack is originally from Boyle but has an address at Distillery
Buildings, Distillery Road, Dublin 3.
The 43 year old pleaded guilty to possessing the drugs for sale or supply at
a business unit in Fairview and in a white transit van on October 11th and
12th last year.
At a hearing on Wednesday in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court , defence
counsel Dean Kelly SC said McCormack found himself in financial trouble and
took the opportunity to transport drugs out of "financial desperation and
impaired judgement arising from drink and drug use".
Detective Garda Séan Ryan told the court, that McCormack was driving a
white transit van with a large crack in the windscreen and a broken wing
mirror when he was pulled over by gardaí on the evening of October 11 last.
Gardaí described McCormack as "highly evasive and agitated" but said he
immediately told them, "There is stuff in the van."
Gardaí noticed a strong smell of cannabis and found a large quantity of
drugs wrapped in clear plastic bags and packed into two boxes in the back of
the van.
McCormack was taken into custody that night and during the early hours of
the following morning, Gardaí got a 999 call reporting a burglary at a
business unit on Esmond Avenue in Fairview that Mr. McCormack had been using
to trade as a kitchen manufacturer.
According to witness statements, the caretaker saw boxes of what he thought
was cannabis thrown everywhere outside the door of the unit and went to
phone gardaí.
Gardaí searched the unit and found 1,174 kg of cannabis in vacuum-sealed
bags stacked up to the ceiling.
These drugs and the cannabis found in the van were analysed by Forensic
Science Ireland as having a combined value of €3.9 million.
Mr. McCormack was detained by gardaí for three days during which he was
interviewed six times.
He told Gardaí he had been contacted by a drug dealer who requested €100
worth of coke, but that he didn't have the money to carry that out and was
then offered the opportunity to transport drugs.
The prosecuting Garda also agreed that McCormack had run into significant
legitimate debt at the time of his arrest, including rent on his lock-up
unit, business debt and his mortgage.
Numerous letters were handed to the court including from McCormack's
parents, from a former employer who described him as hardworking and a batch
of letters from members of St Brendan's GAA club whom he was heavily
involved with.
A prison governor's report stated that Mr McCormack has made good use of his
time in prison and has now been transferred to Castlerea Prison where he is
working in the prison officers mess and kitchen.
His defence said his client cooperated with Gardaí although he exercised
his right to silence in that he was at pains not to indicate anyone else who
may have been involved.
Judge Orla Crowe adjourned the case until November 14 for finalisation, in
order to read a large volume of documentation including a governor's report
and psychological report.
