ONE of the most inept drug deals of all time came unstuck for Ireland’s unluckiest criminal on the 5am bus from Dublin to Cork. A lot of things went wrong for 25 year old Gavin Cray that morning but the first of them was where he chose to sit. “Is this seat taken?” he asked. “No,” came the reply from Detective Garda William Dawes, one of the most experienced members of the drugs squad in Cork city. The detective’s first impression was that Cray was high on some kind of drug. [continues 317 words]
Drug dealers were being aided and abetted at one of the country’s best known nightclub’s, according to gardai, a court was told yesterday. About 30 garda drug squad members raided Sir Henry’s nightclub in Cork city centre a month after it was bought for over pounds 2 million. Shane Hennessy of Gardiner’s Hill, Cork, claimed he was unfairly dismissed as security boss at the premises which housed Sir Henry’s nightclub and Grand Parade Hotel. The owner, William Casey, said Mr Hennessy was never fired but had resigned. [continues 542 words]
A CONVICTED drugs dealer is to be bound to the peace following claims that he threatened to burn out neighbours and assaulted his own wife and two of his children with a cosh. John Heaphy of 190 Rathpeacon Road, Farranree, Cork, was in Cork District Court yesterday where he made no objection to the application by gardaED to have him bound to the peace. Heaphy did not dispute any of the evidence given by Garda Michael Finnucane in the application before Judge Con O'Leary. [continues 331 words]
THE image of Ireland as a soft mark for importing massive quantities of hard drugs has been reversed by a weekend decision to find the skipper of a yacht guilty of serious drugs crimes. Gardai and the Customs National Drugs Team believe that the conviction of the skipper for importing over 300 packets of cocaine with a street value of IEP40 million into Ireland will have a deterrent effect on international drug smugglers. "It is a significant conviction for a serious offence and it will act as a deterrent against others," Supt Bertie Kelleher of Bandon Garda Station said. [continues 678 words]
A DRUGS supermarket operating out of a local authority house secured by barbed wire fencing, closed circuit cameras and two Rottweiler dogs was put out of business when an order was secured for the eviction of the tenants yesterday. Head of the drugs squad in Cork, Detective Inspector Tony Quilter, described 190 Rathpeacon Road, Farranree, Cork, as a virtual supermarket for drugs, including cannabis, ecstasy and LSD. The house is owned by Cork Corporation and was rented to John and Helen Heaphy in 1991. [continues 371 words]
THE Icelandic captain - and former Lutheran Minister - thanked God and his legal team as he walked free from Cork Circuit Criminal Court, yesterday, when the case against him for conspiring to import cocaine collapsed, and a Youghal fisherman who pleaded guilty to the same charge was given a 10-year suspended prison sentence. John O'Shea (44), 7 Raheen Park, Youghal, Co Cork, pleaded guilty on Monday for his part in a conspiracy to import cocaine, and Judge AG Murphy imposed the suspended sentence. However, the media was ordered not to disclose this decision until the trial of Sigurdur Arngrimsson ended, as it was believed that such disclosure might have prejudiced the jury in their consideration of the case that went to trial. [continues 474 words]
