Six years in jail for role in major drugs operation
MULLIGAN was sentenced at Naas Circuit Court along with Co. Kildare man Eric Lawlor who was sentenced to five years in prison after Gardaí smashed up the cannabis and cocaine operation being run from his property at Cypress House, Baybush, Straffan, Co. Kildare.
Mulligan was stopped by Garda on February 11, 2021 after leaving Lawlor’s premises where 60 kilos of cannabis was found inside his Peugeot car at Kill Hill in Kill.
The cannabis was packed inside 35 vacuum packed bags and then placed within five large black bags. He was charged with possession.
The cannabis drugs were found to be identical to the quantity found at Lawlor’s home with Mulligan having travelled from Sligo to collect the narcotics.
A subsequent raid on Lawlor’s home found 314 kilos of cannabis and 9.2 kilos of cocaine.
Lawler told arresting garda officers that he had a €1400-a-week crack cocaine habit at the time and owed money.
Defending counsel for Lawlor told the court that when he tried to pay his debt to his drug dealers “they were not interested” and instead saw an opportunity to use him and his property.
He had rented a room out to someone at the time for €100 during the Covid lockdown who had access to drugs.
He had developed at €1,400 a week crack habit over eight months and the drugs had been supplied on credit.
Despite paying off the debt, the drug gang criminal did not stop their involvement and wanted to use his property to continue storing the narcotics.
The Garda detective giving evidence from the witness box agreed that Lawler was forced to do things he didn’t wish to do.