A FORMER Irish soldier turned drug dealer has been jailed for six years after admitting possession of almost €400,000 worth of cocaine and cannabis for sale or supply.
John Earls, with an address at Ballykeeffe Estate, Dooradoyle, Limerick, was managing a major drug dealing operation from the Treaty City, Limerick Circuit Criminal Court heard.
The 58-year-old was arrested after members of the Limerick Garda Divisional Drugs Unit intercepted him at a car park in Corbally in a car carrying over a kilo of cannabis, valued at over €19,000, on April, 2021.
Gardaí acting under an intelligence-led operation recovered a second kilo of cannabis when they seized a second car driven by another man who had met up with Earls after Gardaí received confidential information about the ex-soldier’s illegal activities.
Gardaí also observed Earls visiting a flat registered to a third accomplice, located at Henry Street in Limerick City, that he was using as a drugs storehouse.
Gardaí raided the flat and found over €118,000 worth of cannabis and more than €166,000 worth of cocaine. The drugs were locked into a number of safes in the flat, which Earls had the keys to when he was arrested.
Prosecuting barrister John O’Sullivan told the court that Earls and the other two males had “all played a prominent role in a sophisticated and large-scale drugs distribution network”.
Earls, through his barrister Brian McInerney, disagreed with the opinion of Drugs Squad Garda Daniel Dillon, who said that that Earls had at the time been “at the top of a pyramid” of an organised criminal drugs operation.
Earls pleaded guilty to three counts of possession of drugs worth €323,663, for sale or supply. Each count carries a maximum life sentence and a mandatory prescriptive minimum sentence of 10 years in jail.
Mr O’Sullivan said that during Garda interviews after his arrest, Earls had told Gardaí he was a “drugs-runner and that he had made a number of drops which he received payment for”.
Mr O’Sullivan said Earls is a father of three, and that he has been disowned by his family because of his criminal offending.
The court heard Earls is one of nine siblings, had served in the Irish Defence Forces for three and half years, suffered an injury, and is in receipt of a disability payment.
Mr O’Sullivan said Earls, who is diagnosed with epilepsy, had also previously worked as a taxi driver and plays a musical instrument in a band.
The prosecuting barrister said Earls was “not a man with a drug abuse problem”, but a “cannabis party” was held at his house a few days prior to this arrest.
Mr O’Sullivan said Earls admitted to Gardaí that “he was selling drugs for monetary gain”, and that he was making drug drops all over Limerick, saying “he said he got involved out of desperation, as a way of making one to make ends meet”.
Mr O’Sullivan said Earls “recruited” the other men and was “supervising and managing matters and delivered drugs to individuals who acted as store-men and runners”.
Garda Dillon disagreed with Earls’ barrister that the defendant had “no trappings of wealth” from drug dealing, however the Garda accepted that Earls was not in good health and that his family had “cut him off”.
Judge Colin Daly said Earls could have “no excuse” for having “taken part in organised crime for his own gain”.
“Harm is caused by drugs on society and local communities, and organising crime of this type is a danger to the community,” said Judge Daly.
The judge said he was “satisfied” that a headline custodial sentence of 10 years was appropriate, which he reduced to six years after taking into account Earls’ early guilty plea, his age, and his medical history.
