A former sales associate with high-end retail brands in Dublin was acting under “significant duress” when bringing two suitcases containing €620,000 of cannabis through Shannon airport.
At Ennis Circuit Court, counsel for Seán Grehan, Lorcan Connolly SC made his comment after Mr Grehan affirmed a signed guilty plea he made in the district court to the possession of cannabis with a value of €13,000 or more for the purpose of selling or otherwise supplying the drugs at Shannon Airport on November 12th last contrary to Section 15A of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1977.
Counsel for the State, Sarah Jane Comerford (BL) previously told the circuit court that one of the suitcases also contained cash of €10,000.
Mr Grehan of Stradbrook Park, Blackrock, Dublin has been on remand in custody at Limerick prison since he was arrested at Shannon airport last November.
Mr Connolly told the court that the sentencing hearing will hear that Mr Grehan “carried out the offence under significant duress where he left Ireland and returned here with two suitcases that had been provided to him”.
Mr Connolly said that Mr Grehan is a 28-year old father of two with a long history of full time employment.
Mr Connolly said that the background to the offending “was developed out of severe cocaine addiction and a drug debt”.
Mr Connolly said that as far as previous convictions go, Mr Grehan only has a couple of district court level driving offences. He said: “Mr Grehan’s engagement with the courts has been minimal.”
Mr Connolly said that in the circumstances he was seeking a Probation Report on Mr Grehan and Judge Francis Comerford granted that request.
Mr Connolly said that in due course he would be seeking a prison Governor’s report on Mr Grehan.
Mr Connolly said that Mr Grehan is drug free and can be subject to urine drug testing analysis ahead of sentencing.
Section 15(a) carries a mandatory minimum prison term of 10 years but a judge has the discretion to impose a lesser sentence in certain circumstances and only a very small portion of those convicted of Section 15(a) drug dealing offences do receive the 10 years in prison in the criminal courts.
At the contested bail hearing on November 13th last, Garda Kevin Molloy said that it will be alleged that a passenger from an inbound Boston flight, Seán Grehan was detected by customs officers to have two 20kg suitcases at Shannon airport on November 12th containing 31kg of cannabis with an estimated street value of €620,000.
Garda Molloy said that it will be alleged that Mr Grehan was due to pass the two suitcases to another person after getting through customs at Shannon airport.
On behalf of the accused, Sorcha Dinah Ní Néill Fulham BL told the bail hearing that her client is a father of two children, aged seven and five, and has worked as a sales associate for a number of high end retail brands in Dublin.
Judge Comerford further remanded Mr Grehan in custody to appear at Ennis Circuit Court via video-link on May 1st to fix a date for sentence.
