Former Irish Olympian jailed by Cork court

A former Irish Olympic boxer has been jailed for six months after he pleaded guilty to two separate counts of possessing almost €15,000 worth of cigarettes and tobacco without paying excise duty at two locations in Co Cork.

Kieran Joyce, who boxed at welterweight for Ireland in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics and the 1988 Seoul Olympics, pleaded guilty to two separate counts relating to the offences in February and September 2015 when he appeared at Cork Circuit Criminal Court today.

Joyce (52) pleaded guilty to two counts of keeping for sale or delivery some €8,000 worth of cigarettes and tobacco products without paying excise duties on the tobacco at his house Ardán na Mara, Seafield, Youghal, Co Cork on February 25th, 2015,

He pleaded guilty to a similar third charge of keeping for sale or delivery some 15kg (33lb) of tobacco worth €6,000 at a car at his house at Hillview Drive, Onslow Gardens in Cork city on September 10th, 2015, again without having paid excise duty on the tobacco.

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Customs officer Georgina O’Doherty said she obtained a warrant to search the home of the accused at Ardán na Mara in Youghal on February 25th, 2015, and found a total of 8,500 cigarettes and 7.2kg of tobacco at the house and at a neighbouring property.

Transferring tobacco

Customs officer Phina Harrington said that she obtained a warrant and in an operation on September 25th 2015, detected Joyce transferring 15kg of tobacco worth €6,900 from one vehicle to his own car outside his house at Hillview Drive, Onslow Gardens, off the Commons Road in Cork.

Defence barrister Jane Hyland BL said that Joyce offered to pay excise duty on the tobacco but there was no facility for him to do so. She asked Judge Seán Ó Donnabháin to be as lenient as possible, pointing out that Joyce was highly regarded among his peers.

She said that testimonials had previously been submitted on his behalf pointing out that Joyce – who was voted Cork Amateur Boxer of the Century in 2014 – had helped to coach hundreds of youngsters at Sunnyside Boxing Club on Cork’s Northside.

Ms Hyland said Joyce had inevitably been the subject of much media coverage when he pleaded guilty last month to the Youghal offences and he was deeply ashamed of himself for these crimes, particularly when he had done so much to keep youngsters on a good path.

Previous convictions

Judge Ó Donnabháin said he had no doubt but that Joyce had used his talent as a boxer to coach many youngsters on Cork’s Northside but his behaviour which led him to be charged with these offences hardly set a good example for youngsters that he was coaching.

He said the biggest factor weighing on his mind was the fact that Joyce had previous convictions for similar offences in 1997, 2000 and 2002 when he was fined sums totalling more than €5,000 and one in 2004 where he was fined €1,000 and given a suspended six-month sentence.

He noted that just months after being caught in Youghal, Joyce was caught again in Cork city and what was most worrying was that it was just the latest in a series of such offences. “This is repeat continuous behaviour and he does not learn,” said Judge O Donnabhain.

He noted that Joyce had pleaded guilty to both the Youghal and Cork city offences which was to his credit but he believed the appropriate sentence was 12 months concurrent on each offence but he suspended the final six months in both cases, leaving Joyce facing six months in jail.