'Nervous' Kildare driver stopped by gardaí is jailed for having over €200k of cannabis

By Fiona Ferguson

A “terrified” Kildare man who was caught in chance encounter with gardai holding over €200,000 of cannabis in an attempt to pay off a €2,000 gambling debt has been jailed for three years.

Kenneth Philpott (64) was pulled over after being spotted by gardai driving in a bus lane,

Philpott of River Forest, Leixlip, Kildare, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of the drugs on April 10, 2024. He has no previous convictions.

Passing sentence on Friday, Judge Martin Nolan said certain parties had taken advantage of his gambling debt to traffic these drugs. He said Philpott had made a huge misjudgement in agreeing.

The judge took into account the mitigation in the case including his co-operation, good history, work record and the level of fear and coercion involved.

Judge Nolan said drugs offences such as this were “well trodden ground” for the court. He said this was a “very normal type of case” where obligations were created through a parties behaviour before taking advantage of the obligation. He said Philpott was a mature man who made a very bad decision.

Judge Nolan said he could depart from the mandatory minimum sentence of ten years due to the circumstances of the case, but said it was a substantial amount of drugs.

He set a headline sentence of six years imprisonment, but said as there was very good mitigation, he would cut that in two and imposed a sentence of three years imprisonment.

Garda Ronan Doolin outlined to the court that gardai stopped a car observed going into the bus lane. The driver, Philpott, was co-operative but very nervous prompting suspicion and a search of the car.

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Philpott told gardai there were packages in the car and gardai recovered 7kg of cannabis in taped packages, valued at €140,000. During a follow up search of his home gardai recovered a further €80,000 worth of cannabis.

Philpott gave gardai admissions in relation to his own role only. He said he had worked most of his life working and managing casinos but suffered a stroke two years previously so had to slow down.

He was working as a croupier across Dublin but had built up a gambling debt of €2,400 from playing cards.

Philpott, described as a working man from a good family with a grown daughter, had not been put under any pressure to repay the debt until one week before this offence. He described being terrified of the people he was working for.

The court heard there were threats made against his family and home and he felt he had no choice. He travelled from his home to pick up the drugs, dropped some to his house and shed and then returned to pick up a second load. He was on his way home with the second load when he was stopped by gardai.

Defence counsel said Philpott was a good family man whose wife and daughter have always been his priority. He has been getting counselling from Gamblers Anonymous and was remorseful for his involvement in this offence. He handed up a letter from the accused to the judge.

He said Philpott had been very successful in martial arts in his earlier life and represented Ireland in many tournaments.

He asked the court to take into account that he was someone who had lived his entire adult life as a constructive and productive member of society and his community. He had been completely self-sufficient his entire life, worked hard and brought up his daughter.

He said his client had made immediate admissions and gardai did not dispute the threats he outlined. He did not anticipate him coming before the courts again.

Counsel said his client “shouldn’t be here, but he is here” and is taking full responsibility for the reasons he is before the court.