Posted by John “Spud” Murphy, a former Garda Superintendent,
Murphy was jailed for six-and-a-half years in October 2022 after pleading guilty to possessing €260,000 worth of cannabis for sale or supply at his Clontarf, Dublin home. The drugs, totaling 13kg, were found in a walk-in wardrobe, a coal bunker, and his car during a September 2021 raid by the Garda National Bureau of Criminal Investigation (NBCI). The search was initially part of a probe into suspected leaks of confidential Garda information to the Hutch crime gang, not drug trafficking, making the cannabis discovery unexpected. CCTV footage showed Murphy collecting the drugs from an industrial estate in Co. Meath.
Murphy, who retired in 2010 at age 50 after 30 years of service, had a controversial career. Known for a lavish lifestyle, he threw a celebrity-filled retirement party at the Aviva Stadium. Sources described him as “money hungry,” with a reputation for bending rules, including improperly canceling penalty points and managing unregistered informants like criminal Sean Dunne, who was murdered in 2004. He was also linked to dubious business ventures, amassing €855,000 in debt from failed investments, including €300,000 lost in taxi licenses. His defense highlighted his alcoholism, claiming it clouded his judgment, and argued he held the drugs for financial gain to ease his debts.
Beyond the drug conviction, Murphy remains under investigation for allegedly passing Garda intelligence to the Hutch gang, with electronic devices and €47,000 in cash seized during the raid. Two serving Gardaí were suspended in connection to the same probe. In January 2023, Murphy was questioned in prison about these links, and a witness in the corruption case faced intimidation, including having their car set alight.
Murphy was moved to Shelton Abbey open prison in 2024 but was returned to Midlands Prison after allegedly socializing in a pub during compassionate leave, breaching release terms. He’s due for release in 2026. His case has raised questions about Garda corruption, with ongoing investigations into his and others’ ties to organized crime.
Who Watches the Watchers? 