Farmer who worked with drugs gang jailed after cocaine and heroin worth €500,000 seized

David Raleigh

A farmer who pled guilty to possessing over €500,000 worth of cocaine, heroin and tablets has been jailed for four-and-a-half years.

Charles Magill (61), with addresses at his family farm at Knockainey, Co Limerick, and at Rivers, Lisnagry, Co Limerick, told gardaí he was delivering drugs for unnamed criminals in order to pay off a drug debt which his then partner had accrued.

Magill and convicted Limerick drug dealer Vincent Collopy were arrested during a Garda operation which resulted in the seizure of €1.4 million worth of cocaine, heroin and tablets, on May 29th, 2022.

Magill admitted 16 charges, including two counts of possessing almost €600,000 worth of drugs for sale or supply, as well as having €49,000 in cash, contrary to money laundering legislation.

Judge Tom O’Donnell and gardaí observed Magill delivering a drugs package at Corbally, Co Clare.

Gardaí then observed a vehicle arriving at the location and retrieving the package.

When gardaí pursued this vehicle they observed one of the occupants throwing the package from the car.

Vincent Collopy (44), of St Ita’s Street, St Mary’s Park, Limerick, who gardaí told in a earlier hearing had thrown the package out of the car and had tried to impede a Garda in the course of his duties on the day, was jailed for four-and-a-half years in January 2023, after he pled guilty to possessing cocaine worth around €10,000 for sale or supply.

In follow-up searches of Magill’s house in Lisnagry and his family farm in Knockainey, gardaí recovered €385,000 worth of cocaine, €130,000 worth of heroin, €81,000 worth of tablets, and €49,000 in cash.

Magill told gardaí he was “coerced” by others who the judge said were involved in the “organised sale and distribution of drugs in Limerick City”.

The judge said Magill told gardaí he was holding the drugs “to reduce a drugs debt which in the main belonged to his partner”.

Magill was “given instructions of where to go to make deliveries, but he was afraid to identify those involved,” the judge said.

Judge O’Donnell said Magill was seen by the drug gang as a “highly trusted person”.

He said Magill had “no trappings of wealth”, was of “material assistance” to gardaí, and entered an early guilty plea which prevented the requirement of a lengthy trial.

Judge O’Donnell said that, while Magill had a “deep involvement” and “might be described as a second-tier manager in the [drugs] operation”, he was satisfied that Magill’s involvement did not merit a prescriptive mandatory minimum 10-year jail sentence in respect of the sale or supply charges.

The judge said he took into consideration that Magill had “no previous convictions”, he was “hardworking”, and he was likely “coerced” by others.

He jailed Magill for six years with the final 18 months suspended on one count of possessing the drugs for sale or supply, followed by concurrent sentences of four-and-a-half years for the second count of possessing the drugs for sale or supply; four years for possessing €49,000 in cash deemed to be the proceeds of crime; and four years for possession of drug paraphernalia.

The remaining offences were taken into consideration by the court.

Magill agreed to enter a €100 non-lodgement bond to be of good behaviour and keep the peace for six years upon his release from jail.