How much is a new tracksuit worth to you?

ronnie3585

6 years in prison?

A Finglas man who agreed to act as "back up" in the collection of a €200,000 consignment of heroin in return for receiving a €120 Lifestyle tracksuit has been given a six-year sentence.

Christopher Murphy (aged 27) was a back seat passenger in a car driven by Alan McNally (aged 32) which was observed in a garda surveillance operation collecting the drugs from Greg McCauley (aged 33) in March 2006.

McNally, of Cappagh Avenue, Finglas, was given a seven-and-half-year sentence in June. McCauley, of Ballybough House, Ballybough, was given a ten-year sentence in February.

Murphy, of Plunkett Drive, Finglas, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of the drugs for sale or supply on March 3, 2006. A third person who was in the passenger seat of the car is awaiting trial.

Judge Katherine Delahunt had adjourned the case last November having heard the evidence to allow Murphy to continue his efforts to rehabilitate from his drug addiction.

Mr Ronan Kennedy BL, defending, said that Murphy had made "significant progress" in dealing with his drug habit and he was grateful that the court had given him the time "to prove he was serious about addressing his addiction".

Mr Kennedy said it was "a sad state of affairs" that Murphy got involved in this offence for "such a small reward".

Judge Delahunt said she was satisfied that "in the interest of justice that the presumptive minimum mandatory sentence of 10 years is not applicable in your case".

She said that Murphy was "virtually at the bottom rung of the ladder" and was a vulnerable man who perhaps did not have enough sense to stay out of this crime. The last two years of the sentence were suspended on strict conditions.

Detective Sergeant Gregory Sheehan told prosecuting counsel, Mr Shane Costelloe BL, that as a result of confidential information a surveillance operation was set up outside McCauley's then home on Edenmore Drive,

McCauley was observed approaching a car driven by McNally with a bag, have a conversation with a female in the passenger seat and then walk away from the car without the bag. Murphy was in the back seat of the car.

McNally was stopped by gardaí after he drove off and heroin with a approximate street value of €190,000 was found in the foot-well behind the passenger seat. The three occupants of the car were arrested.

McCauley was arrested one month later after a further period of surveillance and charged with the offence.

Murphy, who has two previous convictions, told gardaí he had gone along on the collection as "a bit of back up" and was to receive a €120 Lifestyle tracksuit in return. The tracksuit was found in the boot of the car.

Det Gda Sheehan agreed with defence counsel, Ms Isobel Kennedy SC (with Mr Kennedy), that Murphy was "not the brightest spark" and had a serious drug addiction that he had been seeking to address.

Ms Kennedy said Murphy had a difficult background and a family history of alcohol abuse. She said he began abusing alcohol at 15 and escalated into using cocaine, ecstasy and heroin following a family bereavement.

She said he had been attending at a drug clinic and had expressed "sorrow and remorse" for the offence.

And he didn't even get the tracksuit in the end.

Smart Bug

Ah sure doesn't he get a nice new denim suit now?

4zn76tysfajdxp

ronnie3585 wrote: »

And he didn't even get the tracksuit in the end.

He got a lovely new pair if stripey pyjamas though.



Edit: To hell with you Smart Bug.

PurpleBerry

I'd rather keep the heroin tbh.

I guess you could cut up that tracksuit and some Pennys ones, stitch them back together and sell them on but it really does sound like too much work.

Ruu_Old

Any pics of the tracksuit?

Ruu

Ruu wrote: »

Any pics of the tracksuit?

cant find the tracksuit but this is the t-shirt to match

]linky

Diabhal Beag

Good enough for the twat

Hazys

If he got away with it, the fashion police would have picked him str8 away as been a 27year old man wearing a full tracksuit. Only excuses:

1. On your way to/from a sporting event you are partaking in
2. You are Grand Master Flash

Morlar

That sounds like another bull**** excuse for getting caught with a couple of hundred thousand euro worth of heroin. Every week there is a new one in the news - its always 'vulnerable' people, 'down on their luck' etc 'did it to get rid of a €200 debt' etc etc Its the same for people caught smuggling too. To be honest at this stage that reads to me like an example of a defence solicitor's formulaic response for trying to get a sentence reduced.

I would be surprised if anyone in that situation ever actually comes up and goes 'yep - I did it. And nope it wasnt for a free tracksuit' Any kind of nonsense excuse is more or less assured to knock a couple of years off. I am pretty sure at this stage its the biggest injoke doing the rounds - ie just how ridiculous a story can you get a gullible judge to believe. Holding 200k in heroin for a tracksuit ffs.

Degsy

Fcuckin braindead moron.
These halfwits really prove that crime,as they commit it,doesnt pay.

If he hadnt got caught with the heroin i'm sure he'd have been quite happy to tell his mates on a crowded bus that he got his new tracksuit for "acting as backup on a heroin run" or something silmilarly self-incriminating.

Morlar

Amazing how the IRA never got away with that - you never heard stories of them getting caught with a hold-all full of ak47's because 'somone in the pub promised them a terrys' chocolate orange' . Honestly the judges must be watching too much oprah or something.

m5ex9oqjawdg2i

Morlar wrote: »

That sounds like another bull**** excuse for getting caught with a couple of hundred thousand euro worth of heroin. Every week there is a new one in the news - its always 'vulnerable' people, 'down on their luck' etc 'did it to get rid of a €200 debt' etc etc Its the same for people caught smuggling too. To be honest at this stage that reads to me like an example of a defence solicitor's formulaic response for trying to get a sentence reduced.

I would be surprised if anyone in that situation ever actually comes up and goes 'yep - I did it. And nope it wasnt for a free tracksuit' Any kind of nonsense excuse is more or less assured to knock a couple of years off. I am pretty sure at this stage its the biggest injoke doing the rounds - ie just how ridiculous a story can you get a gullible judge to believe. Holding 200k in heroin for a tracksuit ffs.

Well vulnurable people are easy targets. I believe some of it alright, not all.

Jesus Juice

Was it Nike or Reebok?Makes a big difference...

stovelid

I might be tempted for one of them Firebird Rasta trackies.

Turd Ferguson

Jesus Juice wrote: »

Was it Nike or Reebok?Makes a big difference...

Neither. I bet it was a f*cking Gola or something

Jesus Juice

Turd Ferguson wrote: »

Neither. I bet it was a f*cking Gola or something

or Lonsdale.... favorite of the junkies.

Degsy

Jesus Juice wrote: »

or Lonsdale.... favorite of the junkies.

O'neills..if they still make them.

RxQueen

i dont own a tracksuit !

stovelid

Degsy wrote: »

O'neills..if they still make them.

I think they've been reclaimed 'south of the river' as it were.

The only criminal connection now would be that the irritating daughters of fraudulent banking executives wear them.

Jesus Juice

Degsy wrote: »

O'neills..if they still make them.

Yeah they still make o'neills...you can only really get'em round my area(tipp) i think....i only ever see girls wearing them though never seen a junkie with them on.

RxQueen

Jesus Juice wrote: »

Yeah they still make o'neills...you can only really get'em round my area(tipp) i think....i only ever see girls wearing them though never seen a junkie with them on.

thats how it starts, slippy slope once you put on the on the oneills tracksuit

Jesus Juice

emo!! wrote: »

thats how it starts, slippy slope once you put on the on the skinny jeans

FYP!

RxQueen

Jesus Juice wrote: »

FYP!

*cries* i cant wear them , my ass is to big


*wanders off to listen to emo music * :P