Louth man gets a suspended term for transporting almost €100,000 worth of cannabis

A Louth man who previously had his sentence adjourned to allow him to undergo brain surgery has been given a suspended term for transporting almost €100,000 of cannabis.

Trevor Keyes (49) borrowed money from someone and attempted to pay the money back, only to be told that the persons involved did not want the money, but instead wanted him to do a job.

Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that in 2010, Keyes was one of three taxi-drivers who intervened to help apprehend a man who had stabbed a sixty-year-old woman.

The court heard he suffered a brain aneurysm that has left him unable to work and was scheduled to undergo surgery in February last year.

Keyes of Cherrywood Close, Termon Abbey, Drogheda, Co Louth, pleaded guilty to possession of cannabis for sale or supply at Harold's Cross Road, Dublin 6, on March 23, 2017. He has no previous convictions.

Yesterday (Monday) Judge Elma Sheahan acknowledged that the surgery went well having previously adjourned the case last January to allow him to have the operation.

In sentencing Keyes, she said she had taken into account the garda evidence that he was at the lowest rung of the ladder and was unlikely to come before the courts again.

She accepted that he had been of “positive good character prior to his offending” noting that he had previously come to the aid of a woman who was under attack.

Judge Sheahan also acknowledged that a report from the Probation Service put Keyes at a low risk of re-offending as he had had shown genuine remorse for his behaviour, had accepted personal responsibility and had no previous convictions.

She sentenced Keyes to three years in prison which she suspended in full.

“I am satisfied that society is best served by this person remaining in the community” with the knowledge that should he stray, he will have to serve a three-year jail term, Judge Sheahan said.

At the earlier hearing, Detective Garda David McKinley told Fiona McGowan BL, prosecuting, that on the date in question, gardaí were in receipt of information that drugs would be transported in a red Toyota Avensis taxi and an operation was put in place.

Det Gda McKinley said Keyes was observed driving the taxi on Harold's Cross Road in Dublin and was stopped by gardaí. A search of the car uncovered 10 vacuum packed bags of cannabis hidden in the boot of the car.

The total value of the cannabis was €99,200.

Det Gda McKinley told the court that he was satisfied Keyes did not make any money from this incident. He said the information gardaí received was in relation to the car and the cache of drugs, rather than the accused man himself.

The detective agreed with Dominic McGinn SC, defending, that his client was not someone who was heavily involved in the drugs trade. He agreed Keyes was not on the garda radar and said he did not expect him to be before the courts again.

He agreed with counsel that his client borrowed money and then tried to pay it back, only to be told that the persons involved did not want the money back, but they did want him to do a job.

Mr McGinn said that in March 2010, his client came to the aid of a sixty-year old woman and helped apprehend the man who stabbed her. He said his client was commended for his intervention by the Circuit Court judge who presided over the case.

Counsel told the previous hearing that his client had been unable to work since suffering a brain aneurysm. He said his client was scheduled to undergo brain surgery in February, surgery which has been delayed due to the pandemic.