A middle-aged man who acted as a pivotal figure in smuggling cocaine valued at €8.4 million into Ireland has been put behind bars for 11 years. Tim Gilchrist, a man described to be very similar to the literary character “Walter Mitty”, utilised an airfield in County Longford as his dropping off point, employing a Cessna single-engine airplane which took off from Dieppe, France.
Upon its landing at Abbeyshrule Aerodrome on the night of 4th August 2022, the aircraft was closely monitored by officers from the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau (GNDOCB). The authorities managed to intercept Gilchrist, a 56-year-old resident of Mavis Bank, Newrath, Waterford, in his automobile in the Lough Owel area of County Westmeath, where they discovered 120kg of cocaine.
Gilchrist, who informed the Gardaí that he was a company proprietor with operations in Uganda, confessed to the grave charges of carrying drugs valued more than €13,000 with intent to distribute at Lough Owel. On top of that, he conceded to illegally shipping the cocaine using the small aircraft.
Following a hearing of arguments at Mullingar Circuit Criminal Court on Tuesday, the case was adjourned to Thursday, whereupon Judge Keenan Johnson pronounced a sentence of 11 and a half years. The last half of the year was, however, suspended. Judge Johnson expressed a significant worry over the lack of tight security at such “open corridor” airfields throughout the country, and suggested a comprehensive security enhancement, mandating round-the-clock vigilance and checks.
The court was apprised that Gilchrist utilised the Cessna for recreational flying, asserting that he was coerced into gathering the narcotics from Dieppe by two men who threatened to pose a problem and potentially harm his daughter if he didn’t comply. After spending a day in Dieppe, Gilchrist was apprehended while he was carrying his personal phone along with another, the latter having just two contacts and was purchased exclusively for the purpose of smuggling operations.
Detailed assessment of the phone revealed that Gilchrist had been sending and receiving texts from individuals close to the Longford aerodrome right before touch down. A specific text pleaded caution, saying: “A lot of guys around, be careful.”
In the retelling of the court case, Gilchrist had insisted that his aim was merely to accrue more flying hours for the aircraft’s pilot, a claim the court found had been substantiated by six separate occasions. His narrative, however, was thought to be dubious by Det Sgt Cummins who felt it echoed previous escapades almost verbatim. The inability of the gardaí to verify Gilchrist’s assertion of duress added further doubt.
Det Sgt Cummins concurred with the defence counsel, Michael O’Higgins SC, that the guilty admission by Gilchrist was indeed a worthwhile element. Extenuating circumstances put forth by Mr O’Higgins included Gilchrist’s single-child family, his unostentatious living quarters that he came into by inheritance, and no evidence of an extravagant lifestyle.
Making his case, Mr O’Higgins portrayed his client as akin to a slightly eccentric daydreamer, typical of a “Walter Mitty” character. In his argument, he urged the presiding judge to take cognisance of the inherent layered power dynamics involved, with the bearer of the drugs being merely the most vulnerable and disposable link.
The judge acknowledged the significant extent of strategic planning and the crucial role played by Gilchrist in logistics, believing the offence to be motivated by profit. Judge Johnson started with a preliminary sentence of 16½ years but conceded that it could be reduced due to the guilty plea, mitigating evidence and Gilchrist’s clean criminal record. The punishment was retroactively imposed from the 4th of August 2020, at which point Gilchrist had started his jail term.