Retired Irish Police Superintendent Ends Up Behind Bars Over $258K Worth Of Cannabis

John Murphy from Clontarf in Dublin, a retired Garda (Irish police) superintendent pleaded guilty to drug possession charges and was sentenced to six-and-a-half years in prison. The police found marijuana worth nearly €260,000 ($257,985) at his home and car, reported BBC news.

A key senior officer in An Garda Síochána, managing Garda Districts as well as National Teams Units, Murphy had a total of almost 13kg worth of marijuana in his possession. The police seized eight bags, one found in a wardrobe and seven in a coal bunker. Officers also found a bag in the back seat of Murphy’s car.

While his attorneys argued that he was a functioning alcoholic unable to think clearly, the judge said he should have been able to resist the temptation of easy money and should have known better. The lawyers also tried to explain Murphy’s actions by saying that he always perceived himself as a businessman, but unfortunately had “the opposite of the Midas touch.” 

As a retired garda superintendent, he knew precisely what kind of criminal activity he was undertaking, the judge highlighted. He added that while Murphy clearly deserves a prison sentence, because he pleaded guilty right away the sentence was lowered from the mandatory minimum of 10 years to six-and-a-half years. In addition, the sentence was backdated to October 2021, when Murphy was taken into custody for the first time.

During the hearing, Murphy expressed a need to apologize to his family and An Garda Síochána for the harm and dishonor. 

See also: British Woman Arrested For Growing A Half-Million Pounds Of Weed, And This Was Not The First Time

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