Dublin man Ian Kidney, 37, has been jailed for seven years following Garda seizures of over €3 million worth of cocaine and cannabis.
The court heard how Mr. Kidney developed a dependency on prescription medication following a workplace accident a number of years ago and how this had evolved into a cycle of drug addiction and debt.
Prior to this investigation, Mr. Kidney had no previous history of criminal activity. He came under police surveillance in April 2024 and his case was heard at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Mr. Kidney, who has an address at Sheehy Skeffington Meadows, Tallaght, pleaded guilty to two counts of drug possession for sale. One count related to the transportation of drugs on the north side of Dublin on 3 April 2024, and the other related to a haul of drugs at a storage facility on the south side of the city.
Following the delivery of two boxes to an address on Mellowes Road in Finglas, Garda Brian Kirwan testified that they seized over €320,000 worth of cannabis at the property.
Kidney was then stopped and arrested by gardaí on Beresford Street in Dublin city centre, where police discovered a further €198,000 in his van. A self-storage unit was subsequently raided in Ballymount, resulting in the further seizure of €2.28 million worth of cannabis herb, €5,572 of cannabis resin, and €694,858 worth of cocaine.
It is understood that Mr. Kidney had a substantial drug debt of €15,000 and was inveigled into working that off by doing favours for local criminal gangs.
Under cross-examination, Garda Kirwan agreed that Mr. Kidney was a family man who had been working in baggage handling at Dublin Airport prior to a serious accident. Mr. Kidney’s defence team stressed that this accident changed the course of his life and led to a series of escalating crises that culminated in his arrested.
Whilst Judge Martin Nolan also accepted that these played a key role in Mr. Kidney’s crimes, he nevertheless suggested that he would have to be punished for his ‘huge misjudgement’ when it came to drugs distribution.