A PRISON officer, a convicted murderer serving a life sentence and his brother were all involved in smuggling contraband into Mountjoy Prison, gardaí told the Circuit Criminal Court in Dublin.
After hearing guilty pleas and details of the operation, Judge Katherine Delahunt adjourned sentencing to a later date.
Prison officer Dillon O’Brien (37), in charge of landing B3 in the prison, trafficked heroin and mobile phones to inmate Thomas Hinchon, having received the items from Hinchon’s brother Sean.
Mr O’Brien also brought vodka, mobile phones and cocaine to prisoner David Mulvey after being advised to do so by two men, and smuggled in mobile phones to another inmate, Donnagh O’Brien.
He later told gardaí that he was addicted to cocaine, ecstasy and steroids and that he was getting two grammes of cocaine for every successful “drop”. He brought the contraband into the prison in either his jacket or trouser pockets and transferred the vodka to a bottle of water. Mr O’Brien would then hand the items to the prisoners in his office. He said he was getting free cocaine about once a month for his involvement.
O’Brien, of Charnwood Meadows, Clonsilla, pleaded guilty that “being a member of the prison service he did knowingly and without the authorisation of the governor convey a bottle of vodka and mobile phone to prisoner David Mulvey and a mobile phone to prisoner Thomas Hinchon” in Mountjoy Prison on March 13th, 2007.
He also admitted to conspiracy with others to convey cocaine to Mulvey, heroin to Hinchon and two mobile phones to O’Brien on dates between January 1st, 2005, and March 15th, 2007, and to having cocaine in his own home on March 15th, 2007. He had no previous convictions.
Thomas Hinchon (30), of St Ronan’s Close, Clondalkin, pleaded guilty to conveying a mobile phone and to conspiring with others to convey cannabis into Mountjoy Prison between January 2005 and March 2007. He has 67 previous convictions, including the murder of Jonathan O’Reilly, threats to kill and possession of stolen property but the majority are for road traffic matters.
His brother, Sean Hinchon (32), also of St Ronan’s Close, pleaded guilty to conveying a mobile phone to Thomas Hinchon and to conspiracy with others to convey heroin to him. He has seven previous road traffic convictions.
Det Garda David Carolan told Seamus Clarke, prosecuting, that O’Brien’s home was searched on March 15th, 2007, after Supt Dominc Hayes received confidential information in relation to the trafficking of mobile phones, drugs and alcohol into the prison.
Gardaí later analysed Mr O’Brien’s phone traffic and found relevant text messages. O’Brien later admitted he had arranged to pick up items for Mulvey and smuggled them into the prison.
There were also calls from Sean Hinchon on March 11th, 2007, in relation to the contraband for his brother. Mr O’Brien admitted he met up with his co-accused a number of times to deliver the items to Hinchon. He said he also received some money as well as cocaine for his role. A search of Mulvey’s cell revealed a water bottle filled with vodka, in addition to phones and cocaine, while heroin and methadone tablets were found in Hinchon’s cell.
The judge adjourned the case to next Monday and remanded O’Brien and Sean Hinchon on continuing bail and Thomas Hinchon in custody.