A PRISON officer who tried to smuggle more than €20,000 worth of drugs into Mountjoy Prison has been jailed for five years. Jarlath Walsh (40) pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of cocaine, cannabis and cannabis resin with intent to supply at the prison.
He also pleaded guilty to possession of thousands of tablets with intent to supply.
The father of two told gardaí he only tried to smuggle the drugs into the prison where he worked because he was “afraid for himself and his family”.
Det Garda Fergal O’Flaherty told Róisín Lacey, prosecuting, that suspicions were raised when Walsh tried to avoid a routine search at Mountjoy Prison on the December 20th, 2010.
“He said he was in a hurry because he had left his bike unlocked,” Det Garda O’Flaherty said. Walsh was brought to a search room where five packages containing a large amount of prescription tablets were found, as well as two mobile phone Sim cards.
Gardaí obtained a warrant to search Walsh’s car which was in the staff car park. They found cocaine as well as more prescription tablets.
Walsh told gardaí that he had made three other deliveries to prison, but this was the largest one. He had worked at the prison since 1998.
Walsh told Det Garda O’Flaherty that about four months before his arrest he had pulled up at the shops at Collins Avenue in Dublin when two men jumped into his car. The men said they knew where he worked and wanted him to deliver a package of drugs to the prison.
Walsh said he refused their demand and fled the car, leaving it abandoned.
Walsh’s father is a retired detective and when his son came to him for help, he advised him not to report the incident.
He told Det Garda O’Flaherty that they then dumped the drugs in a nearby skip. Walsh said the men returned again with another package, but this time they had photographs of his family and took his mobile number before making more threats.
He said he was upset, but agreed to smuggle the drugs into the prison and leave them in the prison’s kitchen area.
Michael O’Higgins, SC, defending, said any custodial sentence would be difficult for Walsh because he would have to be kept in a protected wing due to his work in the prison service.
Mr O’Higgins asked Judge Patricia Ryan for mercy and clemency.
Judge Ryan said she took his early guilty plea into account as well as his co-operation with gardaí and the fact that he had no previous convictions.