Gang leader thanks Garda for arresting him, court hears

A man who directed a 20-strong member gang thanked gardaí for arresting him and had felt suicidal over his drug debts, the Special Criminal Court has heard.

Sligo native Barry Young (38) pleaded guilty in March to directing the activities of the gang, which had an international character but operated in the Sligo, Donegal, Leitrim and Galway areas where it was involved in drug dealing, intimidation and money laundering.

The court heard drug seizures linked to the gang totalled more than €628,000, while Young himself had €40,000 in cash despite his only stated income being social welfare payments. Young also dispatched enforcers that he described as “head-the-balls” and “Dirty Harrys” to collect on drug debts, the sentencing hearing was told.

At the three-judge court on Tuesday, Det Garda Insp Ray Mulderrig told Fiona Murphy SC, for the State, that Young was arrested by detectives from Sligo at Dublin Airport on January 11th of this year on his way to Spain in a bid to escape his life of crime and drug debts.

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Det Insp Mulderrig told Ms Murphy that gardaí seized Young’s phone and discovered thousands of messages, images, videos and calls relating to Young’s criminal activities in running the Sligo-based gang.

Det Insp Mulderrig said Young had 81 previous convictions at the time of his arrest and had been twice sentenced for drug dealing, with the last conviction for that offence coming in 2006 when he was sentenced to six years’ imprisonment.

Ms Murphy said gardaí examined the phone which was found to contain thousands of “local, national and international” interactions used for directing the criminal gang in relation to the sale and supply of drugs through Young’s “known associates”.

The barrister said the phone revealed a group of “at least” 20 members who operated in a “controlled, hierarchical command structure with directed sub-cells who then directed their own subordinates through a chain of command directed by Barry Young who was ultimately informed of the results”.

Ms Murphy said phone activity revealed messages about drug seizures, drug debt enforcement, intimidation, cash lodgements and movements, and the collection and distribution of drugs.

The court heard the investigation revealed a high level of communication regarding drug debt enforcement and the names and addresses of debtors.

The detective said investigations of five phones associated with Young led to the arrest of 16 people, six of whom are before the courts, with three of those facing charges of organised crime involvement and money laundering directly attributed to the gang.

The detective said that in October 2019, a seizure of 2kg of cannabis from a UK associate of Young’s took place in Ballina, Co Mayo. The associate was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment on foot of the seizure. Ms Murphy said this caused Young to embark on a path of “panic, fear, agitation and anger” in a “damage-limitation” exercise.

Another associate of Young’s caught with €100,000 of cannabis and €18,000 in cash in January 2020 had a phone number attributed to Young in his phone saved under “Boss”.

A third associate, who was caught with €328,000 worth of cannabis and had a “huge” drug debt of his own, was used as a courier for cash and drug deliveries in Sligo, Leitrim and Dublin, said Ms Murphy.

After Young’s January 2022 arrest in Dublin Airport, searches in the Sligo area found €36,360 in cash, €145,250 worth of cannabis, €11,000 worth of cocaine and €4,500 worth of Valium and diazepam linked to the gang.

Det Insp Mulderrig agreed with Michael Bowman SC, for Young, that his client had been “cordial, mannerly and pleasant” in his interactions with gardaí.

Mr Bowman said his client came from a decent, working class family in Sligo and that Young developed a “significant drug difficulty” that led to his drug debt issues. Mr Bowman said Young had been under “enormous pressure” to pay his debts and had been looking for “a way out of the life he made for himself”, adding that Young was preparing to move out of Ireland when arrested.

Det Insp Mulderrig agreed with Mr Bowman that there had been a legitimate threat to Young’s life due to his debts and that his client’s mental health had suffered as a result.

The barrister said the “enormous” pressure on his client to pay money back to those above him caused Young to “seek a way out and he sought to take his own life”.

The barrister said Young had engaged in counselling and drug and alcohol addiction services before his arrest as far back as 2018 due to the “parasitic nature of the drug trade”.

Mr Bowman said his client described the day of his arrest as a “happy day” and that Young had thanked gardaí for catching him because “every day he was trying to find peace with what he has done”.

Mr Bowman said Young had been a “big fish in a small pond” but was answerable to “layers upon layers” of individuals operating above him.

Father-of-two Young, with a previous address at Geldof Drive, Cranmore, Co Sligo, pleaded guilty at the non-jury court that he, between October 4th, 2019 and January 15th, 2022, inclusive, directed the activities of a criminal organisation both within and outside the State, contrary to section 71A of the Criminal Justice Act, 2006, as inserted by section 5 of the Criminal Justice (Amendment) Act, 2009.

Mr Justice Tony Hunt adjourned sentencing to July 31st for the offence which carries a maximum of life imprisonment.