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Child Item

John Gilligan gets 6 more months

Stiffler2

John Gilligan gets 6 more months on his sentance for having a mobile phone !

Quote:

Convicted drug dealer John Gilligan has been given a further six-month prison sentence by the Special Criminal Court after he pleaded guilty to possession of a mobile phone at Portlaoise District Court in 2010.

Gilligan was due for release from prison in April next year but today the court handed him a consecutive six month sentence.

Gilligan, 59, whose address was given as "care of Portlaoise Prison", pleaded guilty to possession of a "mobile telecommunications device" whilst in lawful custody at Portlaoise District Court on 30 March, 2010.

The native of Ballyfermot, Dublin was cleared in 2001 of the murder of journalist Veronica Guerin in June 1996.

However, he was convicted by the Special Criminal Court in March 2001 of 11 offences of unlawfully importing cannabis resin into the State on various dates between 1 July, 1994 and 6 October, 1996, and unlawful possession of cannabis resin for sale or supply on the same dates.

Gilligan was originally sentenced to 28 years in prison for the drugs offences, but this was reduced to 20 years on appeal.
He was also convicted in June 2002 of threatening to kill two prison officers in March 2001 and was given a two year prison sentence to run consecutively after the 20 years sentence.

In March last year he was also given an eight month prison sentence at Portlaoise District Court for having a Nokia mobile phone in his cell at Portlaoise Prison on 30 July, 2008.

Detective Garda Pat Scully told the court that during his trial at Portlaoise District Court in 2010 Gilligan, who was defending himself, was seen by gardai rooting in a shopping bag which contained his legal documents.

He was seen to detach something from underneath the bench and to drop it in the bag. When Gilligan was searched by prison staff a mobile phone was retrieved from the shopping bag.

He was interviewed by gardaí about the mobile phone and he told them that he believed that when he was in court, the Prisons Act did not apply and he had not broken the law.

He told gardaí that he intended to use the phone to contact his solicitor and then he was going to break it up.
Detective Garda Scully said that the earliest date for Gilligan's release from prison is April 2013.

Cross examined by Gilligan's counsel, Mr John Peart SC, Det Gda Scully agreed that John Gilligan had already been dealt with by the prison governor for having the mobile phone in court and had been given 60 days in the segregation unit with loss of privileges.

Mr Peart told the court that Gilligan has spent many years in prison and while in prison four members of his family have died.
Mr Justice Paul Butler, presiding, said that the court had no experience of dealing with the offence but the Oireachtas has fixed a maximum of five years imprisonment for the charge.

He said that the court took the view that any sanction imposed must mean something to the accused to discourage others from committing the same offence and in the circumstances the court sentenced him to six months imprisonment to start from the conclusion of his current sentence

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Wow - a judge actually handed out a sentance to a criminal for having a mobile phone in the jail cell - I am truly shocked.

I would expect this kind of thing in the US but here ??

Hopefully this is a sign that things are changing - justice wise ( but we all know they won't )

Other thoughts - Gilligan will be back on the street in early 2013.
Who are his rivals, Dundon ?

Dundon v's Gilligan - who will win the streets back ?

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Comments

saywhatyousee

Guy:Incognito wrote: »

Hes wasnt caught coming through the airport with 1/8th in his bag.

True put there have been cases of people being caught with 10-15 millions worth of heroin and only getting 10 years

Sunnyisland

say what you see wrote: »

The 20 year sentence was from 1996 not 2001.His original sentence was extremely harsh as well 28 years from importing hash:eek:

But we all know that he was really sentenced for organising the murder of veronica guerin and not the Importation of hash.

johnners2981

saywhatyousee wrote: »

The 20 year sentence was from 1996 not 2001.His original sentence was extremely harsh as well 28 years from importing hash:eek:

No his sentence began in march 2001

Sunnyisland

johnners 2981 wrote: »

No his sentence began in march 2001

He was in custody in england from 96,That would be taken into account when reviewing his parole.

johnners2981

realies wrote: »

He was in custody in england from 96,That would be taken into account when reviewing his parole.

Maybe so but wasn't he supposed to serve an additional 5 years too for threatening to kill two prison officers, what happened that

twowheelsonly

Liamario wrote: »

Convicted of having a mobile phone in prison. Don't doubt for a second that the prison wardens were well aware he had a phone and had seen him use it as well.
And they did nothing.

Did you read the report or just the first line??
He picked the phone up in court and was subsequently searched and the phone recovered.

Have a read of this article - 15,000 Contraband Items seized in the past 2 years, but don't let that stand in the way of your cheap snide remarks..

http://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/figures-show-thousands-of-contraband-items-seized-in-irish-prisons-540169.html

Sunnyisland

johnners 2981 wrote: »

Maybe so but wasn't he supposed to serve an additional 5 years too for threatening to kill two prison officers, what happened that

I am guessing here but I suspect that it was a concurrent sentence which meant it was ran into his already serving sentence.

twowheelsonly

johnners2981 wrote: »

Maybe so but wasn't he supposed to serve an additional 5 years too for threatening to kill two prison officers, what happened that

Two years I think???

FGR

stupidusername wrote: »

WTF, when was he actually convicted? shouldn't it be 22 years and 6 months from that day? (minus time spent in custody before trial)

Unfortunately the Justice System in this country frowns upon Judges who issue consecutive sentences. 99.9% of sentencing, as such, runs concurrently with whatever else they're serving.

It's a great 'incentive' for the criminal to commit a lot of crime while waiting for their big trial - knowing all penalties will be served together.

Guy:Incognito

realies wrote: »

I am guessing here but I suspect that it was a concurrent sentence which meant it was ran into his already serving sentence.

Concurrent sentences are stupid and pointless. If your going down theres no reason ot to commit a few more crimes first seeing as you'll be serving them all at the same time.

Patrick2010

Seems like theres no incentive in behaving yourself in prison as in that any sentence you get for bad behavior will be served concurrently with your existing sentence. Its bizarre that he'll be getting out early given his threats to kill prison officers.

lividduck

Ikky Poo2 wrote: »

Depends on the terms of his realease, he may well still be subject to a period of probation.

No, once he is released he is free and clear, personally I think he should have got life, that way if he ever was released it would be on licience and conditional. He is one evil bast*rd

Liam Byrne

Run_to_da_hills wrote: »

johnners2981 wrote: »

http://www.rte.ie/news/2001/0315/gilligan.html

So out of a 28 year sentence he serves 11 years and gets another 6 months for being naughty.
What is the point in these sentences when they are never carried out.

They are usually handed a sentense and will get anything up to 30% off if they are good. Gives them a more incentive not to act the maggot inside.

11/28 = 39% SERVED

That's 61% OFF, which is an absolute disgrace and would be a joke if it weren't letting thugs and low-likes back into out society.

Sunnyisland

lividduck wrote: »

No, once he is released he is free and clear, personally I think he should have got life, that way if he ever was released it would be on licence and conditional. He is one evil bast*rd

Has has been said earlies in this thread he was convicted of importing cannabis, A drug many many people would like to see legalised,why should he have gotten life ?

woodoo

He won't hang around Dublin long after release. The papers will be all over him. He will go to Spain i'd guess.

Patrick2010

realies wrote: »

Has has been said earlies in this thread he was convicted of importing cannabis, A drug many many people would like to see legalised,why should he have gotten life ?

For the murder of a woman?

Sunnyisland

Patrick2010 wrote: »

For the murder of a woman?

He was found not guilty of murder or any anything else to do with the horrible murder of veronica gerren by the courts of this land, He was found guilty on Importing cannabis and initially got 28 years.

RichieC

My mate says he's a bit of a joke in the prisons now, youngfellas shouting abuse at him ect..

Patrick2010

realies wrote: »

He was found not guilty of murder or any anything else to do with the horrible murder of veronica gerren by the courts of this land, He was found guilty on Importing cannabis and initially got 28 years.

Obviously I know that, but everyone knows he was behind her murder, do you doubt it?

Sunnyisland

Patrick2010 wrote: »

Obviously I know that, but everyone knows he was behind her murder, do you doubt it?

Its not up to anybody or everybody or what I think,Its up to the law of the land and the courts, Gilligan was tried and acquitted of the murder .You cant or imo should not have people in court on one charge and for that person to get sentenced on another.

KKkitty

realies wrote: »

Patrick2010 wrote: »

Obviously I know that, but everyone knows he was behind her murder, do you doubt it?

Its not up to anybody or everybody or what I think,Its up to the law of the land and the courts, Gilligan was tried and acquitted of the murder .You cant or imo should not have people in court on one charge and for that person to get sentenced on another.

The law of the land sucks. He was behind Veronica Guerin's callous murder leaving a little boy without a mother so I wish him nothing but the worse in life. I know he didn't pull the trigger but he might as well have. Sentences are too lenient in this country.

charlemont

saywhatyousee wrote: »

The 20 year sentence was from 1996 not 2001.His original sentence was extremely harsh as well 28 years from importing hash:eek:

Crazy sentence, If that's all they could get him for after all of the investigations it says a lot.

saywhatyousee wrote: »

True put there have been cases of people being caught with 10-15 millions worth of heroin and only getting 10 years

Exactly, Its pathetic, Heroin dealers should get larger sentences.

Liam Byrne wrote: »

11/28 = 39% SERVED

That's 61% OFF, which is an absolute disgrace and would be a joke if it weren't letting thugs and low-likes back into out society.

Liam, He is actually serving twenty years not twenty eight, And his sentences start from the time he was in custody in Ireland, Remember the photo's of him coming off the plane dressed like a clown, I think it was a GB prison uniform.

realies wrote: »

Has has been said earlies in this thread he was convicted of importing cannabis, A drug many many people would like to see legalised,why should he have gotten life ?

True, I think it should be legal too.

RichieC wrote: »

My mate says he's a bit of a joke in the prisons now, youngfellas shouting abuse at him ect..

Yes, They mock the **** out of him, A lot of people don't like him, They blame him for the crackdown after VG's death.

Patrick2010 wrote: »

Obviously I know that, but everyone knows he was behind her murder, do you doubt it?

Yes, There was a lot more to do with that case then the simple theory that JG ordered her death and Brian Meehan drove the bike and Dutchy Holland shot her, A lot of criminals fled and others ratted their way out of it so I reckon it was a much larger operation than just those three. I'd almost wager that DH didn't even shoot her, I reckon one of the informers actually done it and I'd say another well known criminal that VG knew was heavily involved.