Courts / Dublin / Report
Hungarian lorry driver told six-year sentence for €1.5 million cannabis possession would have been longer had he been Irish
Summary
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Istvan Bogdan, a 42‑year‑old Hungarian lorry driver from Mohacs, pleaded guilty to possession of drugs for supply after being caught unloading cardboard boxes containing €1.5 million worth of cannabis at Northwest Business Park, Co. Dublin on 5 May 2014. Bogdan admitted his role in the offence and that he was to receive €5,000. He claimed he was unaware of the drugs' value initially but was told he could not back out. The prosecution, led by Garrett McCormack BL, highlighted Bogdan's admission and the substantial drug quantity. The defence, represented by Dominic McGinn SC, argued for a human‑terms approach, citing Bogdan's family—wife, three children, and two ill parents—and requested a suspended sentence if he left Ireland. Judge Martin Nolan noted the difficulty of serving a sentence in an Irish prison for Bogdan, given his family's distance, but emphasised the seriousness of the drug amount.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Hungarian lorry driver told six-year sentence for €1.5 million cannabis possession would have been longer had he been Irish. Charges or matters: possession of drugs for supply after being caught unloading cardboard boxes from his lorry in Northwest Business Park, Co. Procedural stage: sentence
When:
- May 5, 2014 Incident
- 2015-02-18 Publication
Why: Judge Martin Nolan said serving a sentence in an Irish prison would be very hard for Bogdan, especially because of how difficult it would be for his children to visit him. CNI source report
Case subjects
Defendant
Charges: possession of drugs for supply after being caught unloading cardboard boxes from his lorry in Northwest Business Park, Co (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: He asked that the judge consider suspending the balance of any sentence on the grounds that Bogdan leaves Ireland and never returns. But he said that Bogdan was a mature man at the time he made the decision and it involved a "very serious" amount of drugs. "I cannot avoid a long custodial sentence," Judge Nolan said as he sentenced Bogdan to six years backdated to his arrest. "Normally it would be eight years." "The amount of drugs is very serious and it would have been somewhat higher if he was an Irish national by reason of the circumstances.
Places mentioned
- Dublin
- Dublin Circuit Criminal Court
- Northwest Business Park
- Irish prison
Topics
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