A Dublin man who blackmailed a former Fianna Fail councillor using photos of him allegedly taking cocaine has been jailed for 18 months.
Wesley Higgins of Dundaniel Road, Kilmore in Coolock attempted to extort €5,000 from Liam Kelly by threatening to give pictures from a party to a newspaper in August 2006.
The big question today for former Fianna Fail councillor Liam Kelly – was it cocaine he appears to be snorting in a Sunday World photograph?
Wesley Higgins sent the party photos to the newspaper having failed to blackmail Liam Kelly.
The 33-year-old courier pleaded guilty to demanding money with menaces and today was jailed for 18 months for a crime which Judge Des Hogan described as premeditated, conniving and sly.
He said Wesley Higgins had preyed on a public representative who was vulnerable in his personal life.
Liam Kelly says he cannot remember parts of the party that night because he suffers blackouts due to alcoholism.
The anger of the former councillor is directed at Fianna Fail headquarters who he said betrayed him by conducting a discriminatory inquiry against him.
After the sentence was announced Liam Kelly gave this reaction.
