AN “IMPRESSIONABLE” young Dublin man with no previous convictions has been sentenced to seven years in prison for transporting €140,000 of drugs for a man who he claimed protected him from bullies.
Graham Hill (21), Portland Row, told gardaí he used to buy cannabis off the man, who he claimed helped him when he was being bullied by other young men. Hill said he regarded this man as a friend because he had protected him.
He pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possessing nearly 2kg of cocaine worth €140,000 in his Volkswagen Golf car on the N32 near Coolock on August 7th, 2008.
Judge Katherine Delahunt suspended the last four years of the sentence on strict conditions after taking into account Hill’s early plea and efforts he has made to rehabilitate.
She said she was satisfied that Hill had been open to manipulation by others more seriously involved in crime than he and that he was “very much at the lower level of this heinous trade but you acted as a barrier between the gardaí and these criminals”.
Det Garda Connel Treanor told prosecution counsel, Remy Farrell, that he found the drugs in a black bag under the passenger seat when he stopped Hill’s car on foot of confidential information.
He said Hill admitted he was transporting the drugs for someone who had loaded them into the car. Det Gda Treanor agreed with defence counsel, Paul McDermott SC, that his client had a large drug debt and did not benefit financially from the crime.