Limerick man jailed for 2014 offence after reappearing from exile

A MAN involved with a Limerick crime gang nine years ago was caught retrieving a €255,000 stash of cannabis from a woodland in Blarney but he later fled to Spain – only being rearrested getting off a ferry at Rosslare last year.

Earlier this week, he was sentenced by Judge James McCourt to two years’ imprisonment with the last three months suspended.

His senior counsel Ray Boland said the accused man, 45-year-old Vincent O’Brien of Assumption Park, Newcastle West, County Limerick, had cut ties with the gang with which he was involved in 2014.

“The evidence is that he was very obviously a cannabis user at the time. Regarding evading justice, he is a different man now, no longer involved in the drug trade,” Mr Boland said.

Detective Garda John Sheedy said: “This offence dates back to 2014. As a result of confidential information received in March 2014, a search was conducted in a wooded area and a large quantity of cannabis was found. This was put under surveillance.

“At 6.40pm on April 1, 2014 a black Mazda arrived and the driver Vincent O’Brien got out of the car and went to the wood and unearthed the cannabis. He was confronted by gardaí. He was brought to Gurranabraher garda station.

“The cannabis at the time had a street value of €255,000. He was interviewed on four occasions and no comment was made during the first three. In the fourth interview he admitted placing the drugs in the wood and concealing them.”

A bench warrant had to be issued for the arrest of the accused when he failed to appear in court on July 27, 2014 to face the case. It was not until June 15, 2022 that he was arrested when he stepped off a ferry at Rosslare.

“He was at the time in 2014 a significant person in the distribution of drugs around Cork city and county. (After he fled in July 2014) he lived constantly in Spain, working in restaurants and moving around,” Det. Garda Sheedy said.

Prosecution barrister Donal McCarthy asked the detective if he accepted the contents of the probation report on the accused.

Det. Garda Sheedy said he was in general agreement but disagreed with the suggestion by the accused to the probation officer that his involvement with drugs had been through a Cork crime gang.

The information of gardaí was that he was involved with a Limerick gang.

Judge McCourt said the €255,000 valuation on the drugs found was significant.

“You were working in tandem with a very organised gang or business. That is an aggravating factor. You were not at the bottom end of the drug business.

“In mitigation, you did offer a guilty plea, albeit many years later. The plea saved the state considerable time and financial resources.”

The judge said that it was possible to determine an element of insight and an element of remorse from the defendant in relation to his offending at this stage.