Dublin man jailed for smuggling migrants at port

Edward McDonagh tried to smuggle the four Albanians in his car on a ferry from Dublin to Holyhead

A man who tried to smuggle four Albanian migrants in a car through a ferry port has been jailed for 21 months.

Edward McDonagh said he was bringing the group from his home city of Dublin to Holyhead as a "favour for a friend", Caernarfon Crown Court heard.

When quizzed by border officials in Wales, he seemed not to know his passengers, the court heard.

He admitted facilitating the attempted breach of immigration law in July.

The judge also ordered the forfeiture of £500 and 255 euros found on 35-year-old McDonagh of Northern Close.

'Easy money'

Prosecuting, Richard Edwards said McDonagh paid in cash for a one-way journey to Holyhead, Anglesey, for a car with five occupants, giving false names.

Desmond Lennon, defending, said born-again Christian McDonagh was of previous good character and a hard-working family man who had four children with health problems.

"It's a tragedy to find him before the court in these circumstances," he said.

"There was a temptation to get some easy money. This was a venture that was never going to succeed... It was a very ill-judged decision to get himself involved in this."

The court heard the Albanians had been returned to Ireland.