Courts / Dublin / Report
Increased sentence for "exceptionally good person" jailed over drugs and firearms offences
Summary
Mark Kavanagh, 39, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of €135,000 worth of cocaine, €18,000 worth of cannabis, and a firearm. The original sentence of three‑and‑a‑half years was deemed unduly lenient by the Director of Public Prosecutions, and the Court of Appeal increased it to five years. One year of each count was suspended, to run concurrently for three years after release. The appeal highlighted that Kavanagh had been "minding" the drugs for a few weeks in return for relief on a €700 debt, and that he had claimed a threat against his family, later denying it. The court noted mitigating factors such as no prior convictions, a guilty plea, and remorse, but insisted the firearm offence required a separate, stricter sentence. The final effective custodial term is five years with a one‑year suspension for each count.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Increased sentence for "exceptionally good person" jailed over drugs and firearms offences. Charges or matters: possession of cocaine worth €135k and cannabis worth €18k at his home on April 2 2013. Procedural stage: appeal
When:
- April 2 2013 Incident
- October 15 2014 Incident
- 2015-06-08 Publication
Case subjects
Appellant
Charges: possession of cocaine worth €135k and cannabis worth €18k at his home on April 2 2013 (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: He also admitted to possession of a firearm, an offence which was taken into account by the sentencing judge Judge Martin Nolan when he sentenced Kavanagh to three-and-a-half years imprisonment on October 15 2014. The Director of Public Prosecutions successfully appealed his sentence on grounds that it was "unduly lenient" and the Court of Appeal imposed a new sentence on him of five years imprisonment with the final year suspended on each count to run concurrently.
Places mentioned
- Dublin
- Dublin Circuit Criminal Court
- Court of Appeal
Topics
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