Gardaí call on families affected by drugs to work with them

GARDAÍ in Mayo have called on family members being threatened over a drug debt not to be afraid to contact the Gardaí for support.

The sentencing of a Westport man to two-and-a-half years’ imprisonment for threatening an innocent man to hand over €28,000 to pay off his brother’s drug debt has been welcomed by gardaí in the county.

Oran Brennan, formerly of Cloonmonad Close, Westport was sentenced to two and a half years imprisonment at Castlebar Circuit Criminal Court after pleading guilty to a single charge of making an unwarranted demand, with menace, for €28,000 from Darragh Moon (25) on August 17, 2020.

Mr Moon’s car was set on fire outside the family home in Westport and shortly after this he received a phone call from Mr Brennan where he stated ‘now you know we are not messing around’. Mr Moon had no involvement in criminality but his brother had amassed a drug debt after getting involved in drugs.

Detective Inspector Denis Harrington said the sentence imposed by Judge Eoin Garavan on Mr Brennan showed that families should not feel isolated if they are threatened.

“This was a significant conviction, and if there are families in similar positions they should know that there is help available to them and they should come forward and contact their local Garda station. We are there to support them, and we will investigate any complaint they have.

“Families do feel isolated when these types of threats are made against them, but they should not suffer alone and they should know there is support there for them,” Det Insp Harrington said after the sentence was handed down.

Det Insp Harrington said that gardaí work closely with the Western Regional Drug and Alcohol Taskforce and they have counsellors and workers in the community who offer support to families affected by drugs.

In sentencing Mr Brennan, Judge Eoin Garavan said the terror he imposed on his victim was such that a custodial sentence could not be avoided. “This man made the decision to do what he did and terrorise another family,” Judge Garavan said.