Community service for Armagh man caught trying to launder diesel

An Armagh man has been ordered to complete 240 hours of community service following his conviction for attempting to remove markers from diesel fuel. Paul Haughey, aged 36 and resident in Keady, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to the offence, which occurred on 1 September 2011 at a property near Castleblaney, County Monaghan. Gardaí and customs officials conducted a surveillance operation and discovered over 13,000 litres of laundered diesel on the premises. The markers are used to differentiate between taxed diesel fuel and untaxed mineral oil, with significant tax rate variations between the two products. Judge Melanie Greally imposed the community service order in lieu of a one-year prison sentence, allowing Haughey eight months to complete the work. The judge noted he played a minor role in the operation and maintained an otherwise unblemished record in the jurisdiction. The defence submitted psychological evidence indicating Haughey was suffering severe depression and stressed his cooperation with investigating gardaí and his family responsibilities.