A Mountjoy prison guard, who has since resigned, supplied drugs and drink to inmates because he believed some of them had obtained information about where he lived, a court heard yesterday.
Mark Lynch (31) feared for his wife and child and started bringing in small amounts of cannabis and vodka in soft drink bottles. Yesterday he pleaded guilty to having enough cannabis resin to make 88 cigarettes, which he admitted were for supply to prisoners in Mountjoy.
Judge Mary Collins agreed to a defence application that rather than impose a custodial sentence he should pay £5,000 to the Anna Livia drugs treatment project.
Dublin District Court heard Lynch's car was stopped on the Jamestown Road, Finglas, on December 10th last and two 1.5-litre soft-drinks bottles were found. Lynch immediately admitted there was a mixture of vodka and 7-Up in the bottles, which he was taking into Mountjoy prison.
Det Sgt Dominic Hayes said Lynch was arrested and when his car was subsequently searched gardai found the cannabis, which was worth about £30, 11 valium-based tablets and £50 in cash on the dashboard.
In an interview later, he admitted taking alcohol into the prison on 10 previous occasions since the beginning of September 1998 and bringing in small amounts of cannabis on three previous occasions.
The court heard he had been a prison officer for 10 years and had worked his way up to the rank of assistant industrial supervisor.
Mr Patrick Gageby, for Lynch, said he had co-operated fully with gardai. Mr Gageby said: "Last summer some knowledge was passed to prisoners which led him to believe they knew a lot about his personal life.
"This may have come to the prisoners' attention that they might have some hold over him and about where he lived and his family affairs." He was then asked to "do a favour" and bring some vodka in. "Once he did it he could not say No again," Mr Gageby said.
If he had approached the authorities about his problem they would have moved him and disciplined the prisoners involved. He was throwing himself "at the mercy of the court" and was prepared to make a contribution to a charity.
Judge Collins said Lynch was in a better position to know what he was doing was wrong than many of the people he was dealing with because he did not come from a disadvantaged background.
She noted a reference from the governor of Mountjoy complimenting him and saying he took pride in the prison and had worked hard there. He had no previous convictions and had co-operated with gardai.
The most appropriate way therefore to deal with it was for him to make a contribution to the Anna Livia project.
Judge Collins remanded him on continuing bail to today to allow him to come up with the £5,000.