A Westmeath "rampant addict" who picked up a van loaded with heroin valued at €1.6 million because of his €25,000 "drugs debt", has been jailed for seven years by Judge Katherine Delahunt.
Gerard Matthews (30 ), of Grange Village, Mullingar, told gardai he was told €1,000 would be taken off his "drugs debt" and that he "could not walk away from the situation" when he received a call ordering him to collect the vehicle from a McDonald's carpark in Ballyfermot.
Sergeant Brendan Breen agreed with defence counsel, Ms Mary Ellen Ring SC, that Matthews felt he had no option but to comply with the request that was made of him, and he believed that if he had ignored it there would have been "detrimental consequences".
Matthews pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of the drugs for sale or supply at the N4 Lucan bypass on May 26, 2007.
He also admitted to robbery of €640 from Centra in Rathmines four days previously, and to production of a knife during the course of the raid.
Judge Delahunt accepted that Matthews’ role was transporting the drugs, but said he played "an intrinsic role" in the trade, and added, "those above you would not be able to operate without you".
She accepted that a psychological assessment showed that there were "traumatic aspects" to his background, and noted that he had been abusing drugs since he was 13 years old.
Judge Delahunt said she was satisfied that Matthews’ case had special and exceptional circumstances so that the presumptive mandatory sentence of 10 years did not apply.
Sgt Breen told Mr Remy Farrell BL, prosecuting, that gardai had a surveillance operation underway at the McDonald's carpark on Kylemore Road.
They saw Matthews leave a car his girlfriend was driving and get into the van and leave the carpark. He stopped at filling stations and appeared to put air in the tyres before gardai pulled the van over on the N4.
Matthews immediately told gardai he presumed there were drugs in the van when they told him they had stopped him for the purposes of a search.
Sgt Breen said the heroin wasn't found until the vehicle was thoroughly searched at Blanchardstown Garda Station where it was recovered from a concealed compartment under the front seats.
Sgt Breen told Ms Ring (with Mr Philip Rahn BL ) that he was aware that Matthews had a long-standing heroin addiction, and that he had started smoking the drug at the age of 13.
He said Matthews had made it "very clear" during interview that he knew he was carrying a "substantial amount" of heroin and he knew he was doing wrong.
Evidence from robbery case
Garda Leona Murphy told prosecuting counsel, Ms Lisa Dempsey BL, that Matthews was easily recognised by the staff in the Centra shop he raided because he was a regular customer there.
He took €640 from the cash register, after holding the knife at staff and making stabbing gestures with it.
Matthews was arrested eight days later when he admitted that he knew he would be recognised by the staff, but accepted a suggestion by gardai that it was "an act of desperation".
Gda Murphy agreed with Mr Rahn that Matthews could be described as a "rampant drug addict" who had committed the crime to feed his addiction. He told gardai that he was sorry for the emotional pain he had caused staff and customers.
