By Ronan Judge

A professional boxer from Galway and “mid-level” operator in the city drugs trade has received a five-and-a-half-year prison sentence.

Gabriel Dossen (25) was intercepted by members of the Galway Garda Divisional Drugs Unit last February as he was about to check into a city hotel to process, package and distribute deals of cocaine, Galway Circuit Court was told.

CCTV footage showed Dossen, who is a former European boxing champion, twice attempting to evade arrest as a number of Gardaí attempted to restrain him.

Gabriel Dossen, with a former address at Cartur Mór, Clybaun Road, Knocknacarra, pleaded guilty to offences at locations in Galway City on February 13, 2024.

He is charged that at Cartur Mór, Clybaun Road, Knocknacarra, he engaged in processing property that is the proceeds of criminal conduct, to wit €2,555, knowing or being reckless as to whether said property was the proceeds of criminal conduct.

That offence is contrary to section 7 of the Criminal Justice (Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing) Act.

He admitted possession of cocaine and possession of cocaine for the purposes of sale or supply at the car park of the Nox Hotel on the Headford Road.

Dossen further pleaded guilty to an offence contrary to section 19 of the Criminal Justice Public Order Act.

The charge states that at the car park, the Nox Hotel, Dossen assaulted Garda Patrick Casey, with intent to resist or prevent his lawful apprehension or detention, for an alleged offence under section 15 of the Misuse of Drugs Act.

He also admitted possession of items that would give rise to a reasonable inference that he had them for the commission of a drug trafficking offence, contrary to section 183 of the Criminal Justice Act 2006.

The court heard Dossen was a back seat passenger in a black BMW that Gardaí followed to the Nox Hotel on February 13, 2024.

Detective Sergeant Pat Whelan said the accused refused to get out of the car and refused to hand over a rucksack and what followed was a “violent attempt to avoid capture” that lasted seven to eight minutes.

Gardai discovered cocaine worth €7,000, cannabis worth €375, 800 grammes of benzocaine, a quantity of creatine, weighing scales, plastic bags and a mixer.

As he attempted to evade arrest, the court heard, Dossen attempted to bite Gardaí, spit at them and lashed out with a kick that struck Garda Pat Casey.

Sgt Whelan said Dossen was subsequently arrested, detained and made significant admissions.

“He told us he had booked into the Nox hotel to mix, prepare, bag and distribute cocaine,” the sergeant added.

A follow-up search of the accused’s former home address led to the seizure of a quantity of cash.

Gabriel Dossen has 18 previous convictions including nine for offences under the Misuse of Drugs Act.

Defence counsel Brendan Brown BL, put it to Sgt Whelan that his client had incurred a significant drug debt.

“I accept he had a debt but everyone at every level of the drug trade has a debt. It’s been that way since the dawn of time,” the sergeant replied.

Asked about Dossen’s involvement in the drug trade, Sgt Whelan said he was not at the bottom of the ladder and was not at the top either.

Mr Browne told the court his client wished to unreservedly apologise to Gardai for his behaviour.

He asked the court to take into account the “significant mitigation” in the case, which he said included his client’s signed pleas of guilty, remorse and addiction issues.

The court was told Dossen recently elevated to the ranks of professional boxer and had a degree in business from Athlone IT.

Referring to a doctor’s report, Mr Browne involvement in the drugs trade arose from a “coercion-related drugs debt”.

Mr Browne said his client was a young man with potential and was asking the court to leave some light a the end of the tunnel.

Judge Brian O’Callaghan said it was clear from the evidence that on the day he was caught, Gabriel Dosssen was not under the influence of any substance but rather a “man on a commercial journey to make money from the poor addicts of Galway”.

He said the aggravating factors included the “violent and excessively violent attitude” shown by the accused and the number of items seized by Gardai.

He said Dossen could be best described as someone in the “second tier” of the drugs trade, a “mid-level offender”.

Taking into account all mitigating and aggravating factors Judge O’Callaghan imposed a five-and-a-half-year prison term on the charge of having cocaine for sale or supply.

He imposed concurrent sentences of four and a half years and three and a half years, for the money-laundering and public order offences.

Funded by the Courts Reporting Scheme.

Pictured: Jailed: Gabriel Dossen, pictured in 2022 after he became European senior middleweight champ.