Drug dealer admits threatening families over debts

A violent drug dealer has admitted intimidating and threatening drug users and their families and telling them his victims would be raped and murdered if they did not pay him tens of thousands of euro in cash.

Mark Salmon, aged 33, of Kilbarron Avenue, Kilmore, in Dublin, pleaded guilty at the Special Criminal Court to possession of cocaine he had ordered one man to collect, to attacking the family home of another drug addict and threatening both of their families.

He met a woman in a café in Swords and gave her one month to pay him €157,000 if she did not want to see her "son hanging from a rope."

Two family homes were subsequently attacked, with the windows in the houses and in a family car smashed, after Salmon said he was sending "people" down.

Voice messages Salmon left on various victims phones were played in court today.

On one Salmon is heard to say he was organising people "to smash the place up and set it on fire," and that "there’ll be people down at the gaff today and they can do what they want, I don’t care."

Salmon also said he would "tie you down rape you... you and family getting milled weekly until you pay."

In another message for a man he was seeking over €150,000 from, in so-called drug debts for cocaine and cannabis, Salmon said he was to "tell his family, he has four weeks to clear every single thing to do with me or he’s going into a box."

When one of his drug couriers was arrested after picking up €35,000 worth of cocaine to clear €600 from an €88,000 so called drug debt, Salmon advised him what solicitor to get to represent him.

He demanded to meet the mother of another of his victims and met her twice, threatening her both times. He had "a big stocky guy" with him when he met her on a street in Dublin city centre and told her "we have to do what we are going to do" because the money had not been paid.

At another meeting at a café in the Pavillion Shopping Centre, he said to the woman "you think 154K is just going to disappear? The pope is your auntie, sort it out or he’s dead."

He also told her "Youse are lucky he’s still walking around."

Salmon got very angry when he subsequently heard that the woman's son had fled to Britain because of the threats and his fear of being attacked.

"Where's your son get money to go to the UK when he owes me money?" Salmon asked, "I’m not having this. If you’re worried about your son hanging from a rope you better get the money."

He also called the man "a smelly rat" and said he would "get him killed with bullets".

The woman said in a victim impact statement that she found the threats and attacks on her and son "deeply traumatic" and described Salmon, whose nickname was 'fishy' as "being like a demon."

She said she used to foster methadone babies, for six to 18 months, gently weaning them off their addiction, but has had "no babies in my care since because of concerns of further attacks."

Tusla was also concerned.

The woman and her daughter also had to move out of their home into an apartment for five months because of the threats to her son's life.

She then had to install reinforced glass, cameras and other security features that she "never thought" she would need.

She said her own drug addicted son had to flee the country but she intends to go back fostering methadone babies as "a small help for the smallest affected by drugs".

When gardaí raided Salmon's parents' and his partner’s home they found cash and a variety of designer jewellery including Cartier, Michael Kors and Rolex watches and Louis Vuitton and Armani luxury goods.

One of his victims was forced to leave the country.

Detective Sergeant Domhnall O'Connell told the court that Salmon had multiple current, savings and joint back accounts, a credit union account, a car loan, credit and ATM cards and had spent over €15,000 on a mobile home

A forensic analysis identified he had almost €85,000 in unexplained income in two years.

The detective said it all stemmed from "drug related intimidation" which he said had "very much increased since Covid."

"It is the violence used in connection with the debts," he said.

A letter, which his defence counsel described as one of "genuine remorse" with "insight into the impact of his offences on others" was handed in to the Special Criminal Court, along with work references and testimonials.

The court was told the father of two has committed to moving away from criminality and to becoming "a respected role model" for his children.

He will be sentenced next month.