Man previously charged with directing criminal gang pleads guilty to lesser offences
Fiona Magennis
A 32-year-old man who was previously charged with directing a criminal gang has pleaded guilty at the Special Criminal Court to a series of lesser offences, including having cocaine for sale or supply and making threats to kill.
Mark Salmon, of Kilbarron Avenue, Kilmore, West Dublin, was originally charged with a total of 16 offences, including directing a criminal organisation, making threats to kill or cause serious injury to several individuals and making demands with menaces for more than €250,000.
His trial was due to start at the non-jury court on Friday.
However, when Salmon’s case was called on, defence senior counsel Dominic McGinn said progress had been made and asked that his client be arraigned on four counts on the indictment.
Fiona Murphy SC, for the Director of Public Prosecutions, told the three-judge court that the pleas were being offered on a full facts basis and arose from what were, in effect, three separate incidents.
Counsel said the drugs charge stemmed from the transportation of cocaine to Carrick-on-Shannon, Co Leitrim and incorporated threats made to a woman, as well as criminal damage.
As the matters were “intrinsically linked”, she said it was appropriate that a charge of criminal damage be taken into consideration in relation to the Section 15A drugs offence.
The former charge related to criminal damage at a property belonging to two others at Seagrange Road, Baldoyle Dublin 13 on April 19th 2024.
The second set of circumstances concerned two counts of possessing property that was the proceeds of criminal conduct.
Ms Murphy said that full evidence would be given at the sentence in relation to all money laundering matters contained in the book of evidence.
The final matter related to threats to kill or cause serious harm to another man, which were made to his mother.
Counsel said impact statements would be heard at a later date from the victims.
Salmon was then arraigned before the court, where he pleaded guilty to charges that he engaged in acquiring and/or possessing property which was the proceeds of criminal conduct to the value of €24,257.44 between January 01 and December 31st 2022 and property which was the proceeds of criminal conduct to the value of €60,565.41 between January 1st and December 31st 2023 while knowing or believing that, or being reckless as to whether or not the said property was the proceeds of criminal conduct.
He further admitted to making a threat, intending a person to believe it would be carried out, to kill or cause a man serious harm on a date unknown between January 1 and 20 May, 2024.
Salmon also pleaded guilty to a charge of possessing cocaine worth in excess of €13,000 for the purpose of unlawfully selling or otherwise supplying the drugs to another on 26th March 2024 at or near Carrick-on-Shannon, Co Leitrim.
Mr McGinn asked that legal aid be extended to cover a psychological report.
Ms Justice Karen O’Connor, presiding, granted the application, directed that the victim impact statements be prepared and adjourned the case for sentencing to May 11.
Salmon was remanded in custody to that date.
