Businessman jailed for crystal meth seizure faces forfeiting part of sale of €795,000 home
High Court Reporters
A 44-year-old businessman who was jailed for 12 years for importation of the State's largest ever crystal meth seizure now faces having part of the proceeds from the impending sale of his €795,000 family home forfeit to the taxman, the High Court heard.
Nathan McDonnell, who ran the long-established Ballyseedy Garden Centre in Tralee in Co Kerry, allowed his business to be used to store a machine containing more than €32 million of the drug, which came from an organised crime group with links to the Sinaloa Cartel in Mexico.
It was intended the machine it was in would be transported onwards to Australia.
He pleaded guilty in the Special Criminal Court in February to importing drugs into Cork on October 16, 2023 and to facilitating the activities of a criminal organisation between that date and February 12th 2024.
Separately, he ran up a debt of €125,135 to Revenue in unpaid income tax between December 2020 and December 2023.
Revenue notified him proceedings were being brought seeking summary judgment against him for that sum but there was no appearance by him.
His family home at Clashaphuca, Ballyroe, Tralee, is currently for sale on daft.ie with a price tag of €795,000.
It is described as a "substantial, detached, newly built, gated, 4-bedroom/4 bathroom property extending to 353 square metres".
On Thursday, Mr Justice Brian Cregan granted Revenue an order appointing a receiver over 50 pc of the net proceeds of the sale, the half which is owned by Mr McDonnell.
The other half is owned by his wife, Jackie McDonnell.
The application was made on an ex parte basis, meaning only Revenue was represented.
In an affidavit, a Revenue officer said that given Mr McDonnell's criminal convictions and dishonest character, the Revenue Commissioners are concerned there may be an attempt to liquidate and dissipate his assets so as to prevent collection for the unpaid tax monies. His only known asset is the Ballyroe house.
Revenue wrote to both him and his wife seeking undertakings to hold on account 50pc of the net proceeds on the house following the discharge of the debt to the registered charge holder on the property, Cara Credit Union Ltd in Tralee. There had been no response from either of them.
Mr Justice Cregan, who noted there was case law from appointing a receiver by way of equitable execution before judgment is formally obtained, appointed Harry Fehily, solicitor of Holmes O'Mally Sexton LLP of Limerick as receiver.
The receiver's work will cost in the order of €5,000, the court heard.
The judge also granted liberty to the defendant, who he was told is in Portlaoise Prison, to apply to the court with regard to the order.
