An ex-soldier and ‘promising’ boxer who was jailed for six months for driving while on cocaine and no insurance offences has been released from prison - just a day after he was sentenced, we can reveal.

Craig Kavanagh, 24, was arrested on foot of a warrant on Monday, July 1 and remained in custody in Cloverhill prison for his court appearance on Tuesday, July 2 at Dublin District Court.

At that court appearance he was sentenced to six months in prison and banned from driving for 14 years for two offences of driving while on cocaine and four no insurance offences. Judge Grainne Malone jailed him for six months and he was brought to Mountjoy Prison.

However, the following day, on Wednesday, July 3 after spending just one night in custody and one night in prison he was released - due to overcrowding at the Dublin prison.

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Figures from the Prison Service shows the prison population in Mountjoy reached 888 on Tuesday, July 2. The prison has a bed capacity for 755 prisoners and the prison population reached 118 percent on Tuesday. Figures show that on Wednesday, July 3 the number of prisoners in Mountjoy reached 894.

“Prisoners are doubling up in cells and sleeping on the floor on mattresses as the prison is overcrowded and stretched to capacity,” a source told this paper. “Once they are sentenced to a prison term by the courts, the prison has to take them in."

In relation to Kavanagh, a source said as it was his first committal offence where he received a prison term and following a thorough risk assessment he fit the criteria for Reviewable Temporary Release due to the issue of overcrowding.

“He would have to agree to sign on and abide by certain conditions, engage with services and if he breaches any of the conditions he has to go back to prison,” the source continued.

In a statement the Irish Prison Service said it “does not comment on individual prisoner cases.”

Taking to social media on his public Instagram account, Kavanagh posted a video of himself out jogging shortly after his release from prison with the caption “Good to be out in the fresh air again.” In a second post on Thursday, Kavanagh shared a selfie of himself topless after a gym workout.

Kavanagh, of Claddagh Road in Ballyfermot, Dublin 10 pleaded guilty to the two offences of driving under the influence of cocaine and four no insurance offences which happened between June 2022 and July 2023.

The court heard Kavanagh, who joined the army when he was 19, left in the summer of 2023 after he failed a drugs test. He then sought treatment in London for three months after ‘immediately addressing his difficulty’ and ‘has done well since,’ the court heard.

Kavanagh plans to get back into boxing and all of his driving offences pre-date going into treatment, Judge Grainne Malone was told.

Garda Stephen Walsh gave evidence that on June 20, 2022 gardai stopped Kavanagh driving a black 131 registered BMW that was being driven erratically at 2.30am in the Drimnagh area of Dublin. The vehicle was stopped and Kavanagh, who had no insurance and no driving licence, failed to produce his documents at a nominated garda station.

A month later Kavanagh was stopped driving on Ann Devlin Road in Rathfarnham, Dublin where he was caught driving without insurance and without a driving licence.

Three months later, on September 15, 2022 Kavanagh was stopped driving the same vehicle, which had four males in it, at Claddagh Road, Ballyfermot, Dublin 10. Gardai got a smell of cannabis from the vehicle but nothing was found during a search. Kavanagh had attempted to produce an army driving permit and failed to produce his insurance and driving licence.

On September 21, 2022 Kavanagh was stopped again by gardai when he drove off at speed on Harold’s Cross Road. Gardai observed he was ‘sweating and his pupils were dilated.’ He also tested positive for having cocaine in his system.

The following July 2023 Kavanagh was stopped by gardai when he crossed a white line. He had no insurance and tested positive for driving under the influence of cocaine.

He has ten road traffic convictions including one for no insurance where he received a two year driving ban imposed in July 2023, the court heard.

Defence counsel said Kavanagh, who is currently on social welfare, “has a very promising career in boxing.”

“He joined the army at 19 and unfortunately it all went to his head. In the summer of 2023 he left the army before he was pushed after he failed a drugs test and then went into treatment for three months in London,” defence counsel said.

“His previous all pre-date going into treatment. He had a difficulty and he immediately addressed it,” counsel said, adding Kavanagh hopes to resume his boxing career.

Judge Malone said: "I have to take into consideration the seriousness of the offences."

“I do accept he has taken it on the chin and pleaded guilty. It’s an awful shame as clearly he is talented but he has taken the road road with his offending. He has to understand I have to protect others as well as he has two driving while under the influence of cocaine and four no insurance offences,” the judge said and imposed a six month prison sentence and a 14 year driving ban.

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