A postgraduate student at Trinity College Dublin, described by a Circuit Court judge as a major drug dealer's "trusted lieutenant" in the distribution of large quantities of drugs in Galway city over a two-year period, was jailed for six years yesterday.
Luke Tyrrell (24), of Gleann na Coille, Barna, Galway, who is currently completing his thesis on ubiquitous computing - or artificial intelligence - at Trinity College Dublin, pleaded guilty to having cannabis resin in his possession with a street value in excess of €13,000, for the purpose of sale or supply to others when arrested at Galway Docks on January 25th last year.
Former Dublin taxi-drivers Oisín Maher (50), Sea Park Drive, Clontarf, Dublin, and Frank Phillips (52), from Greencastle Road, Coolock, Dublin, were each jailed for four years.
The pair were intercepted by gardaí bringing two holdall bags containing 48kg of cannabis slabs with a street value of €336,000 from a drug dealer in the northside of Dublin to Tyrrell's apartment at the Galway Docks on that date.
Insp Gerard Roche had told the court on Thursday that this was the largest drugs haul to be intercepted in Galway city to date.
Passing sentence, Judge Raymond Groarke said that while he accepted Maher and Philips were simply "mules" transporting the drugs to Galway, Tyrrell had played a major role in the transaction.
"He [ Tyrrell] had advanced from being a minor player to being a facilitator in a big way.
"On his own admission, he had been involved in the distribution of drugs in Galway for two years.
"He was clearly trusted by his superior with vast quantities of drugs.
"One cannot achieve that position in a short period of time. He was a trusted lieutenant of the man he was working for in the distribution of these drugs," the judge said.