Courts / Dublin / Report
€200 paid off €50k drug debt for holding €70k in cocaine, court hears
Summary
A 60‑year‑old father of seven, John McElroy, was stopped in Cabra, Dublin, on 25 January 2019 after a tip‑off. Gardaí found a 1.1 kg block of cocaine under the driver seat of his car, a package he claimed he had accepted an hour earlier and was holding to pay €200 toward his son's €50,000 drug debt. McElroy pleaded guilty to one count of possessing cocaine for sale or supply at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court and will be sentenced on 2 April. Garda Marguerite Reilly explained that the drugs, worth €70,840, were discovered in an Aldi bag and that McElroy had no prior involvement in the drug scene. The court noted he had a single minor conviction for holding a mobile phone while driving. Judge Melanie Greally questioned the practicality of paying a €50,000 debt with €200 and warned that a non‑custodial sentence could not be imposed given the drug value.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: €200 paid off €50k drug debt for holding €70k in cocaine, court hears. Procedural stage: sentence
When:
- January 25 Other
- April 2 Incident
- 1976 and 1991 Other
- 2020-01-14 Publication
Why: McElroy (60) with an address at Oakwood Park, Finglas, told gardaí he had only accepted the package an hour earlier and that he was holding it in order to pay €200 off his son's €50,000 drug debt. CNI source report
Places mentioned
- Oakwood Park
- Dublin
- Dublin Circuit Criminal Court
Topics
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