Drug addict caught with €3.3m worth of cannabis in back of van

A DRUG addict who was caught with€3.3 million worth of cannabis in the back of a van has been jailed for eight years, reports Isabel Hayes.

Keith Tiswell (39) of Woodavens, Clondalkin, Dublin, pleaded guilty to one count of possessing cannabis worth €3.3 million at an industrial estate in Dublin 12 on September 8 last year. He has 75 previous convictions and was previously jailed for drugs possession, the court heard.

Detective Garda Ciara McNulty told David Staunton BL, prosecuting, that gardaí were carrying out a surveillance operation on the day in question and were closely monitoring two vans. After gardaí intercepted one van and arrested Tiswell, he gave them the keys to the other van under surveillance which was parked at Concorde Industrial Estate on the Naas Road in Dublin 12.

When this van was searched, dozens of vacuum-packed bags containing a total of 168 kilos of cannabis were seized. The cannabis had a street value of €3.3 million, the court heard.

Tiswell told gardaí that he had run up large debts due to a long-standing drug and gambling addiction. He said he was put under pressure to hold the drugs, with his wife’s car being burnt out in the weeks prior to his arrest.

Tiswell said he was aware he was under surveillance by gardaí, but he was under such pressure that he had no choice but to continue transporting the drugs.

Anne-Marie Lawlor SC, defending, urged Judge Martin Nolan to take into account the fact that pressure was being brought to bear on her client to commit the offence. She noted that “once presented with the job”, her client could not extricate himself, despite the amount of drugs involved.

She said Tiswell had an up-and-down relationship with his wife, but the pair had recently reconciled. They have three children aged between two and 13. Tiswell’s debts and his long-standing addictions had ruined him, the court heard.

Sentencing Tiswell on Tuesday, Judge Nolan said he could not say for sure that Tiswell would not re-offend in the future, given his criminal history. He accepted there was a level of coercion in the case but said Tiswell must serve a lengthy sentence.

He imposed a sentence of eight years and backdated it to account for any time served in custody.