Drug dealer (39) caught taking nearly €700k from safety deposit box jailed for 10 years
Olivia Kelleher
A “serious drugs player” who was caught red-handed by gardaí removing close to €700,000 from his safety deposit box whilst on bail for firearms and money laundering offences has been jailed for 10 years.
Cork Circuit Criminal Court heard that Gerard Hayes (39) was stopped by gardaí at Mespil Road in Dublin on February 20th, 2024, following a targeted operation by gardaí in Midleton and Cobh.
Mr Hayes of College Lawn, Cobh, Co Cork, told gardaí that the money in his boot was his “life savings.” The father of three claimed that the cash originated from an inheritance and “all cash jobs” he did on the side.
Dt Sgt Eugene McCarthy said that the part time tree surgeon, who often did not work for months at a time, claimed that there was €620,000 in the boot of car.
However, when the cash was counted it totalled €672,000. At the time of his arrest Mr Hayes was paying just €200.00 a month in rent for a council property.
Det Sgt McCarthy said that the way the money was vacuum wrapped and marked bore “all the hallmarks of drug dealing.” When gardaí subsequently carried out a search of the home of Mr Hayes in Cobh they found €10,050 in cash in the hot press.
Meanwhile, Garda James McCarthy gave evidence that Hayes had been previously arrested as part of a major operation on February 10th, 2024, at Ballydaniel in Ballymore, Cobh, Co Cork. On that occasion he was found to be in possession of €62,800 in cash.
Gardaí approached Mr Hayes as he was leaving a shed he was renting in Cobh. Mr Hayes had installed a sophisticated state of the art alarm system at the shed which he was able to monitor remotely. During a search of the shed gardaí found monies concealed in timber blocks under tarpaulin in the shed.
A search of his home in Cobh was carried out following this arrest. Gardaí discovered 234 rounds of ammunition, a rifle silencer, pepper spray, 1,376 rifle primers and eight containers of gunpowder.
The majority of the items were found in the attic. A house boat worth €86,000, which was funded by criminality was subsequently discovered and seized at the the East Ferry in Cobh.
Det Garda McCarthy said that the accused had his firearms licence revoked in 2022. At the time of his arrest he was appealing this decision.
Mr Hayes was arrested for a third time on May 5th, 2024, in Cobh when he was on High Court bail.
Garda Dylan Murphy said that a modified deodorant canister was found in the car of the accused. The canister contained a small amount of cash and cocaine worth €1,407
Meanwhile, garda enquiries via Revenue revealed that Mr Hayes earned €245,892 over a 20 year period from 2002 to 2024 for his legitimate work in various trades.
Defence counsel Jane Hyland, SC, said that her client was remorseful for his behaviour.
“He is very stressed and upset at the position he has put his family in. He is resolved to not ever again engage in criminality.”
Ms Hyland said that Mr Hayes was taken in to care at a young age. She stated that he had a good job history which included work as a diving instructor and a period in the Royal Marines.
The value of cash, cars, a boat and other property which was deemed to be the proceeds of criminal conduct reached a total of €745,000. Judge Helen Boyle made a forfeiture order to the state in relation to these items.
Judge Boyle commended gardai in Cobh and Midleton “on a very successful garda operation” which led to the jailing of jailing of a “serious player in the sale, supply and distribution of drugs in east Cork.”
She noted the serious impact incarceration would have on the Hayes family before jailing him for 12 years suspending the last two years of the sentence.
Mr Hayes pleaded guilty to over twenty charges including the possession of cocaine for sale or supply and possession of large quantities of ammunition and silencers for firearms. He also pleaded guilty to charges related to drug dealing and money-laundering.
