CUNNINGHAM GETS NINE YEARS FROM DUTCH COURT

by Isabel Conway in Amsterdam

A Dutch Court has sentenced Irish fugitive criminal John Cunningham to nine
years imprisonment for trafficking huge quantities of drugs and weapons
worth in excess of pounds 8 million between Holland and Ireland. However,
he is expected to serve no more than 6 years in a Dutch jail.

Sentencing the former close buddy of Martin "the General" Cahill yesterday,
Judges in Amsterdam described him as the ringleader who controlled an
international drugs and weapons racket, laundering many millions of
guilders over a period of years.

Cunningham (49), from Ballyfermot who was on the way to becoming one of the
most successful Irish drug dealers in Europe, is the most senior Irish
criminal figure to be convicted on the continent for major drugs and
weapons crimes.

The drugs and weapons seized are said to be worth over pounds 8 million.
The two day trial had heard that a Dutch associate of Cunningham had been
involved in money transactions for him worth 17 million guilders (pounds 6
million)

"Cunningham's was the pivotal role and he employed a number of people to
carry out orders and commit criminal offences," said Judge N. van
derWijngaart reading from a bulky written verdict running to over 40 pages
which quoted extensively from tapped mobile calls and police surveillance
reports.

The severity of the punishment also reflected the fact that when arrested
Cunningham was carrying a loaded pistol with an extra magazine in his
pocket and was prepared to use such a weapon, Judges added.

While the sentence was said to be unusually long by lenient Dutch standards
49 year old Cunningham from Ballyfermot can expect to serve no more than
six years in a one inmate per cell jail with private TV and toilet facilities.

The 11 months he already spent in custody is automatically taken into
account and a third of all sentences are remitted for good behaviour under
the Dutch judicial system.

Cunningham who earlier said he would be in Court for the ruling decided at
the last minute not to turn up yesterday. Throughout his trial he had
exercised his right to remain silent.

After he has done his time here he faces extradition back to Ireland and
serving at least six years more in jail for kidnapping Mrs Jennifer
Guinness. Cunningham absconded from Shelton Abbey open prison in Co Wicklow
ten years into a 17 year term for the kidnap arriving in Amsterdam in
September 1996. An extradition hearing is expected to be held in March.

After sentencing Cunningham yesterday Judges ordered that nearly 168,000
guilders (about pounds 60,000) of goods and money the Irish criminal and
his wife had in Holland, including cars and jewellery, be seized by the State.