Suspended sentence for a city council worker who used lorry to transport drugs
A Dublin City Council worker who was caught transporting cannabis in his work vehicle has been given a suspended sentence, reports Sonya McLean.
Tony Ward (53) of Balbutcher Way, Poppintree, Dublin 11, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to having drugs for sale or supply on May 10, 2023.
His previous convictions are for minor road traffic offences.
Ward claimed he got involved in the offence because his son owed a drug debt.
His co-accused Michael Little (57), of Rossaveal Court, Drumfinn Road, Ballyfermot, pleaded guilty to the same offence.
He received an 18-month suspended sentence earlier this year.
Garda Tara Higgins told Simon Donagh BL, prosecuting, that gardaí were monitoring an area after Little was spotted acting suspiciously.
Ward then approached Little while driving a Dublin City Council lorry and handed over a package.
Little tried to hide the package in his trousers.
He was stopped and gardaí found the package contained €6,000 worth of cannabis.
Garda Higgins confirmed that Little made full admissions in a subsequent interview with gardaí.
Gardaí followed the lorry and stopped Ward.
He was arrested but nothing of significance came out of his later interviews with gardaí.
Gda Higgins agreed with Keith Spencer BL, defending, that Ward was acting as a drug mule after his son got into difficulty because of his own drug habit.
She agreed that effectively Ward “stepped into the breach” and “dropped the package from A to B”.
Mr Spencer said his client has since been suspended and will lose his job.
Judge Martin Nolan accepted that Ward was pressurised to get involved because of his son’s drug habit.
He acknowledged that he had a long history of work and was unlikely to re-offend.
Judge Nolan sentenced Ward to 18 months in prison which he suspended in full on strict conditions.