Cocaine courier told gardai 'thank God it's over' when arrested, court told
A man who was pressured into acting as a drugs mule by transporting €210,000 of cocaine to Drogheda in a van fitted with a sophisticated hidden compartment told gardaí, "Thank God this is over," after he was stopped and arrested, a court has heard.Lee McBride (47), of Kiltole, Convoy, Lifford, Co Donegal, was sentenced to four years' imprisonment, with the final two years suspended, after admitting his role in transporting the drugs from Ardee to Drogheda on April 28, 2025.Originally from Drogheda, McBride was arrested by gardai as part of Operation Tara targeting alleged drug distribution and associated criminal activity.Garda Leon Fox of Drogheda Garda Station told prosecuting counsel Miska Hanahoe at Dundalk Circuit Court on Tuesday that he and Garda Dean Hyland stopped a Citroen Berlingo van on the N33 in Ardee as it was acting in a suspicious manner.McBride was the sole occupant of the van and was "extremely nervous," said Garda Fox.Because of poor lighting on the night, McBride and the van were brought to Drogheda Garda Station where the van was searched.Garda Fox told the court there was a "sophisticated hidden compartment under the cargo floor of the van that was accessed by a switch at the back of the cigarette lighter and by pressing a button on the van's key fob."A hydraulic system lifted the front half of the floor up," said Garda Fox.A total of 3kg of cocaine with an estimated street value of €210,000 was discovered in the hidden compartment, the court heard.McBride made full admissions, Garda Fox told the court."He said a couple of weeks previous he received a phone call from an individual."He was told to travel to Manchester to collect the van with the hydraulic raising mechanism for the floor."The van was paid for by another individual," said Garda Fox.McBride was then ordered to travel by ferry a week later with the van to Liverpool to collect the cocaine."He said he was under pressure to travel and that he was beaten up by the individuals directing him three nights before being stopped and threats were made to him," said Garda Fox, adding McBride, who was in financial difficulty, was to be paid €3k for his role.McBride has 13 previous convictions for road traffic offences, public order, burglary and theft, the court heard.Defence counsel James McGowan, SC, said McBride was raised and educated in Drogheda, was a self employed kitchen fitter but lost his job during Covid."His marriage broke down and he had alcohol difficulties. He became homeless and moved back to Drogheda where he became involved with the individuals."He was hoping to use the money to train as a bus driver."He was nervous driving the van and there was an element of relief as he said to gardai. 'Thank God this is over'."He was in fear of those directing him and he wasn't sure what drug he was collecting or transporting," said Mr McGowan.Mr McGowan said McBride, who has been in custody since his arrest, has been working six days a week in the kitchen in Cloverhill Prison.Judge Dara Hayes noted it was a 'significant quantity of drugs imported into the country by a sophisticated nature which would have had a significant impact on the local community in Drogheda where he lived."Sentencing McBride, Judge Hayes imposed a four year prison sentence and suspended the final two years backdated to when he went into prison. Upon his release he has to engage with the Probation Services.Join our Dublin Live breaking news service on WhatsApp. Click this link to receive your daily dose of Dublin Live content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice .For all the latest news from Dublin and surrounding areas visit our homepage .
