{"id":468601,"date":"2026-05-26T23:22:24","date_gmt":"2026-05-26T23:22:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/468601\/"},"modified":"2026-05-26T23:22:24","modified_gmt":"2026-05-26T23:22:24","slug":"solicitor-hits-out-at-shortcoming-in-e2-2m-drugs-case","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/468601\/","title":{"rendered":"Solicitor hits out at “shortcoming” in \u20ac2.2M drugs case"},"content":{"rendered":"

A solicitor acting for a man charged in relation to a \u20ac2.2m drugs seizure in Ballybofey has hit out at what he called \u201cshortcoming\u201d in the case so far.<\/p>\n

Mr Frank Dorrian, addressing Letterkenny District Court on behalf of Christopher Doherty, said there were some \u201cdeficiencies\u201d that left him unable to adequately advise his client on how to proceed.<\/p>\n

Doherty has been charged with conspiracy in connection with a \u20ac.2m cannabis seizure last April.<\/p>\n

A 36-year-old with an address at Baile na Carraig, Buncrana, Doherty is one of three men charged as part of the major investigation.<\/p>\n

Doherty is charged that, on December 5, 2024 and on various dates up April 1, 2025, at various locations within the State, he did conspire with Patrick McGinty to commit offences contrary to Section 15, 15A and 21 of the Misuse of Drugs 1977\/1984 which constitutes a serious offence, contrary to section 71 of the Criminal Justice Act, 2006.<\/p>\n

The charge is contrary to section 21(2) and section 27 (as substituted by section 6 of the Misuse of Drugs Act, 1984) of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1977.<\/p>\n

Mr Dorrian said there were concerns that certain materials have not been provided to the defence yet.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have written to the State Solicitor outlining a series of shortcomings in terms of the disclosure provided,\u201d Mr Dorrian said, adding that his client is facing a charge of conspiracy.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe is not accused of any physical contact with any substance,\u201d Mr Dorrian noted.<\/p>\n

The solicitor contested an assertion by Judge Daly that the matter was at a point on the road where it had to go to the Circuit Court.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have to make sure that we consider this properly,\u201d Mr Dorrian said. \u201cThere is an advantage that could accrue to my client.\u201d<\/p>\n

He told the court that a Supreme Court decision directed that the discount on sentences where there is a signed plea, even if an accused person is caught red-handed – \u201cwhich is not the case here,\u201d Mr Dorrian noted – is one-third of the headline sentence.<\/p>\n

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Mr Dorrian said that the disclosure referred to telephone records.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe next difficulty is that the conspiracy alleged has taken place via telephone and they have not furnished that. How does my client arrive at a conclusion that he has made a balanced and considered decision, assisted by me, in relation to materials, to persuade him to tender a guilty plea?\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe materials should have been furnished in the first place. We cannot be compelled to forego an advantage. We cannot attract a benefit which has been granted by a superior court for a signed plea. How do I, with these deficiencies, when the stakes are so high, consider whether it is safe to tender a signed plea or not?<\/p>\n

\u201cThat decision could have consequences measurable in years. I am not prepared to do that until I receive full disclosure. I think that is a fair position to adopt.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mr Dorrian told the court that he has not received a response to his communication.<\/p>\n

He added: \u201cI am not prepared to take the risk to send someone forward for trial or send them on a signed plea when there are gaps in the fence.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese things are specified as exhibits in the case. The exhibits are a part of the core evidence in the case and they have not been furnished, good or bad. They should be furnished and it is an easy thing to provide.\u201d<\/p>\n

Garda Sergeant Jim Collins asked Mr Dorrian to forward his request to An Garda S\u00edoch\u00e1na.<\/p>\n

Judge Daly said that a response was needed and put the matter back until June 22.<\/p>\n

Twin Towns brothers Patrick McGinty, 39 and of Carrickmagrath, Ballybofey, and Michael McGinty, 31, of Ard McCool, Stranorlar, were previously served with books of evidence and returned for trial to the Circuit Court.<\/p>\n

The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has consented for the three accused to be returned for trial to Letterkenny Circuit Court.<\/p>\n

Patrick McGinty has been charged with conspiracy to commit offences. <\/p>\n

Patrick McGinty and Michael McGinty are charged that on dates between March 20, 2025 and April 1, 2025 at a location within the State, they did unlawfully import a controlled drug, namely cannabis, in contravention of the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2017 to 2019.<\/p>\n

They have also been charged with having in their possession a controlled drug, namely cannabis, for the purpose of selling or otherwise supplying it to another and with being in possession of a controlled drug, to wit, namely cannabis.<\/p>\n

The charges follow a swoop on a premises in the Ballybofey area last April by officers from the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau (GNDOCB), the Donegal Divisional Drugs Unit and Revenue\u2019s Custom Service.<\/p>\n

Revenue officers seized approximately 112kgs of herbal cannabis, with an estimated value of \u20ac2.2 million, in the operation.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A solicitor acting for a man charged in relation to a \u20ac2.2m drugs seizure in Ballybofey has hit…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":468602,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[61,60,43],"class_list":["post-468601","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-ireland","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/468601","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=468601"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/468601\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/468602"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=468601"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=468601"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=468601"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}