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Man caught throwing drugs into Wheatfield prison as package ‘fell short of wall’ jailed

Blanchardstown District Court heard the offence, contrary to Section 15 of the Misuse of Drugs Act, took place at Wheatfield on September 22, 2019.

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A Dublin man was caught throwing drugs into jail when the package “fell short” of the prison wall, a court heard.

Jamie Gavigan (27) was arrested when gardaí on patrol witnessed his failed attempt to hurl the pills over the wall at the Wheatfield prison complex in the west of the city.

Judge Gerard Jones jailed him for three months but made the sentence concurrent to a prison term he is already serving for separate offences.

Gavigan, with an address at Rowlagh Avenue, Clondalkin, pleaded guilty to unlawfully conveying drugs into a prison.

Blanchardstown District Court heard the offence, contrary to Section 15 of the Misuse of Drugs Act, took place at Wheatfield on September 22, 2019.

The court heard gardaí were on patrol around the area at 3pm on the day in question when they saw the accused attempt to throw an item into the prison.

Garda Sergeant Maria Callaghan told the court the item fell short and the gardaí recovered it.

The package contained 40 white tablets which were sent for forensic analysis.

These were found to be zopiclone with an approximate value of €80.

The accused was arrested and charged.

Gavigan had previous convictions and was now serving a sentence for criminal damage, blackmail and trespass charges.

This sentence was handed down at Cork Circuit Criminal Court in February this year, for an offence in October, 2022.

He also had convictions for motoring offences in 2019.

Defence solicitor John Shanley told the court Gavigan had been legally advised that there could be a delay issue in the prosecution bringing the case against him but he still wished to plead guilty to the charge.

Gavigan was from Clondalkin and had left school at the age of 14, Mr Shanley said.

He had worked in a car valeting business, then in a wholesale business before taking on an apprenticeship.

Drugs became an issue for him at the age of 19.

He had served a sentence previously and when released from custody, an uncle died.

This had been a brotherly relationship.

He did not have the skills to deal with it and “fell back into drugs”, the solicitor said.

Gavigan been in custody for a year on his current sentence and had a release date in 2025.

The court heard the accused was “doing really well” in custody.

Mr Shanley asked the judge to be as lenient as he could in the circumstances.

Judge Jones said he would not extend Gavigan’s time in prison and said the three-month sentence was to run from the date of conviction.