Co Louth farmer jailed 10 years after €1.6m cannabis haul delivered to his property

John Prendergast, 54, of Knockbridge accepted delivery of a pallet containing over 81kg of cannabis at his property. He was convicted at Dundalk Circuit Court despite claiming he thought it held air filters.

Co Louth farmer receives 10-year sentence over €1.6m cannabis delivery

A Co Louth farmer who told investigators he was "squeaky clean" has been sentenced to 10 years in prison following a €1.6 million cannabis seizure at his property, the Irish Times reports.

John Prendergast (54), of Mill Park, Knockbridge, was convicted at Dundalk Circuit Court of possessing cannabis and having it for sale or supply at the same address on 12 May last year. He had pleaded not guilty to both charges.

He also faced a count of possessing cannabis with an aggregate market value exceeding €13,000 for sale or supply — an offence carrying a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years under section 15A of the Misuse of Drugs Act.

The jury heard that Revenue and An Garda Síochána carried out a joint operation in which a pallet was intercepted at Dublin Port and then delivered in a controlled manner to Prendergast's property three days later. The shipment had originated from a textiles company registered at an Amsterdam address, with the label made out to "John P Ballina Creations c/o John Prendergast Stores, Mill Park, Knockbridge."

A Customs officer drove the curtain-sided rigid lorry to the property, accompanied by a member of the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau. Prendergast accepted the delivery and used a forklift truck to move the pallet from the lorry into a shed.

Inside were more than 81kg of cannabis packed into 18 vacuum-sealed bags, with an estimated street value of over €1.6 million.

During questioning, Prendergast denied any knowledge of the drugs and claimed he believed the pallet contained air filters. Gardaí found no evidence that "Ballina Creations", the entity named on the shipping label, actually existed.

Judge Dara Hayes, finalising the case on Tuesday, noted that while Prendergast submitted handwritten notes to the court and maintained that not all relevant information had been placed before the jury — including an allegation that "evidence was buried" — the central question was whether he had possessed the drugs with intent to supply. The jury found that he had, Hayes said, "in the legal sense of the word."

Prendergast had 22 previous convictions, including 11 under the Road Traffic Act and seven for Revenue offences. The court was also informed that he is the principal carer for his mother and a brother with additional needs.

Judge Hayes imposed the 10-year sentence for the section 15A offence, along with concurrent terms of nine years for possession with intent to supply and four and a half years for unlawful possession. Credit was directed for time already spent in custody.

Source: Irish Times