Man who flew €8.4m of cocaine to Ireland jailed

A man who flew €8.4m (£7.1m) worth of cocaine from France into the Republic of Ireland has been jailed for 11 years.

Former company director Tim Gilchrist, aged 56 from Mavis Bank, Newrath in County Waterford, was arrested with 120kg of the drug in his car after he landed a Cessna light aircraft at Abbeyshrule Aerodrome in County Longford on 4 August 2022.

The father of one claimed that he used the aircraft for "leisure flying" and had smuggled the drugs under duress after two men threatened to harm his daughter.

Irish broadcaster RTÉ reported that the court heard there were no customs officers at either the Dieppe aerodrome in France or at Abbeyshrule in Longford.

Defence counsel Michael O’ Higgins told the court it was "a complete open corridor" for smuggling, which Judge Keenan Johnson described as "extraordinary".

Mr Justice Johnson called for significant security upgrades, including 24-hour checks, adding the country has been left "unacceptably exposed" to the importation of large quantities of drugs.

The court heard that Gilchrist flew to France on 3 August 2022, returning to Longford the following day at 17:25 local time with €8.4m worth of cocaine.

He drove off with the drugs in an Alfa Romeo but, having been followed under surveillance, was stopped by Garda (Irish police) officers at Lough Owel near Mullingar.

They searched the car and found 120kg of cocaine, separated into five black holdalls and a suitcase.

Det Sgt Ciaran Cummins told the court that, when interviewed, Gilchrist claimed that two men had arrived at his house a month before and, knowing he could fly a plane, informed him he would be doing something for them.

Gilchrist said he told them he was "going to the guards", but the men said if he did not cooperate he "would have another problem" and his daughter was threatened.

He said he "had no choice" and was instructed to buy a mobile phone and fly to France.

The gardaí checked out his story which did not stand up.

The court also heard that Gilchrist had two mobile phones, one which he had bought two months before the arrest and was used solely for the smuggling operation.

He sent and received messages from people before landing at the Longford aerodrome on 4 August, with a man called Sam warning him: "A lot of guys around, be careful."

Mr Justice Johnson said Gilchrist was willingly involved in drug trafficking for financial gain and the court was obliged to impose a significant sentence.

He said Gilchrist offered limited assistance to the investigation after being caught red-handed.

Gilchrist did not provide material assistance in relation to the "masterminds" behind the importation but his "omerta" was not surprising, Mr Justice Johnson added.

The judge also said the court would not take "duress" into account when sentencing, adding it is clear Gilchrist was aware of what he was doing.

Gilchrist was sentenced to 11 and a half years in prison with the final six months suspended to allow for rehabilitation and reintegration into society.