Dad and sons jailed after family had €396k of ‘undeclared’ earnings and designer goods

Tom Tuite

An Athlone father and two of his sons have been jailed after they and two other family members built up €366,000 in “undeclared” earnings and a €30,000 collection of designer clothes.

Carer’s allowance recipient, Christopher Joyce, 51, and his wife Julie Joyce, 50, who is on disability allowance, their sons William, 27, and David Patrick Joyce, 28, and William’s 28-year-old wife Kathleen Reilly, all of Ardilaun, Athlone, Co Westmeath, pleaded guilty at Mullingar Circuit Criminal Court to money laundering from 2020 to 2023.

The father and his two sons also admitted drug-dealing offences. They appeared for sentencing on Tuesday.

After suspending portions of their sentences, Judge Kenneth jailed all three men who showed no emotion and remained silent throughout the hearing.

Christopher Joyce was handed a three-year, two-month term. David Patrick Joyce, a roofer and former footballer with a traveller community soccer team, received custodial sentences totalling three years and six months, while his brother William was imprisoned for three years and four months.

The judge described their cocaine related offences as a scourge on the community and noted the “repeated nature of the drug offences and the seeming impunity in which they were operating” as he sentenced the three Joyce men.

He also emphasised they could not explain the funds other than to say there had been insurance claims, but provided no further details.

Judge Connolly said that Kathleen Reilly’s role also warranted an immediate custodial sentence, but he deferred finalising the mother of two’s case until Thursday to allow the Probation Service to assess whether she is suitable for community service.

He noted that Julie Joyce, who had no previous convictions, had serious health issues and had been a “peripheral player” in the money laundering.

He said she used the proceeds to fund the family’s lifestyle, as he fully suspended her three-year sentence on condition she does not reoffend in five years.

The court heard the three men’s activities triggered a probe by Athlone gardaí, involving undercover officers taking part in a series of “controlled” cocaine purchases. That led to warrants to scrutinise the five family members’ finances through their bank, credit union, and Revolut records.

Christian Louboutin, Louis Vuitton, Balenciaga, and Canada Goose dresses, coats, purses, runners and high heels were among the €30,000 cache of designer labels catalogued at their homes.

Judge Kenneth Connolly heard that garda enquiries revealed that Christopher and Julie Joyce, parents of seven children, had received €165,000 into their separate accounts in Dundalk and Athlone. Some €77,500 went into Julie Joyce’s and the rest into her husband's accounts.

Christopher had turned to drug dealing as a result of gambling debts and was ashamed, the court heard. His wife had suffered serious health problems.

David Patrick Joyce had received €38,294.

William Joyce had picked up €61,000, and his wife Kathleen Reilly had €101,000 transferred into her accounts over the same period.

The court heard in 2022 that undercover gardaí contacted drug dealers on a particular mobile phone number or through Snapchat. Members of the Westmeath Divisional Drug Unit sent a series of messages looking to buy drugs.

A garda arrived and met Christopher Joyce at a location in Athlone, and bought about €110 worth of cocaine from him, and another supply valued at €150 about two months later.

David Patrick Joyce, on three dates, sold three deals of cocaine, with a total value of €800.

Unemployed William Joyce sold €300 worth of cocaine to an undercover Garda on three days in 2022, and met him at the Midlands Regional Hospital in Mullingar for these transactions.

William was later stopped while driving and found to have €8,000 in cash. His brother, David, who owned a €16,000 Jeep, told gardaí it was for buying a horse but would not reveal the source of the cash.

David Joyce had maintained he had been awarded about €80,000 over the years as a result of traffic accidents. The court heard he had a caravan worth €7,200 and that he had since started a roofing business.

Parked at the family home were a €35,000 Volkswagen car and a €40,000 Toyota Land Cruiser. He also had a €40,000 caravan, which he claimed he bought for €8,000 because it was damaged.

Judge Connolly noted they had not reoffended and that the two sons had entered into legitimate employment since gardaí questioned them. He also noted the men’s lack of cooperation during their initial interviews with the investigation team.