THREE ENGLISHMEN convicted of the biggest-ever drugs shipment in the history of the State were yesterday sentenced to jail terms totalling 85 years, with two of the accused receiving record 30-year sentences for their part in the crime.
Martin Wanden (45), of no fixed abode, and Perry Wharrie (49), from Pyrles Lane, Loughton, Essex, were both jailed for 30 years while Joe Daly (41), from Carrisbrook Ave, Bexley, Kent, was sentenced to 25 years for their parts in the bungled drugs smuggling operation.
Judge Seán Ó Donnabháin noted at Cork Circuit Criminal Court that none of the three had presented any evidence of suffering from any drugs addiction. He said he had no doubt but that they were involved in the criminal operation solely for profit.
"I think these three defendants are committed and dedicated to this criminal activity. None of them suffer from any addiction. Let's face it, they are in it for the money. They are prepared to deal in drugs, to deal in death and destruction for profit . . . that is what they were in it for."
Judge Ó Donnabháin was highly critical of the evidence given by both Daly and Wanden, in which they sought to portray themselves as innocent of any involvement in the €440 million drugs smuggling operation which went awry in Dunlough Bay on July 2nd, 2007.
"I heard two of the defendants [ Wanden and Daly] give evidence. In each of these, what they were saying was transparently fallacious, they didn't give the jury any chance with their story they were so blatantly false.
"It wasn't that they told lies to the jury, it was the manner in which they told lies that they showed complete contempt for the jury. They showed levels of incorrigibility that are hard to fathom," he said.
He noted evidence from Supt Seán Healy that gardaí believed the gang invested up to €300,000 in preparing for the operation including buying a catamaran and three jeeps, and all three accused knew at each stage what was going on and what they were involved in.
Judge Ó Donnabháin said it was clear from the level of organisation, the money spent and the commitment of those involved that this was a serious criminal activity and the three accused were not innocents who got caught up in something.
"To describe them as mere storemen or carriers is wrong. These men were members of a gang. They knew at all stages what was going on, they hooked up for this crime. There is no evidence that any one of them was the leader but they were definitely very willing lieutenants."
The judge noted the crime had been facilitated in a significant way by the ability of the gang, including Wharrie, who has a previous conviction for murder, to obtain false passports in the UK. That seemed to indicate a laxness which was "wide open to abuse".
Supt Healy later paid tribute to other agencies including Customs, which recovered a waterproof box from the shoreline at Dunlough Bay, and the Naval Service, as well as the emergency services who assisted on the day. Two more members of the nine-man gang are in custody in the UK while another took his own life while in custody in Spain last week, but gardaí are continuing their investigation into the remaining three gang members who came to west Cork, said Supt Healy.
