Limerick man refused bail after €1.5m drug seizure, tore up charges in court
A 26-year-old Limerick man appeared in court Saturday after gardaí seized over €1.5m in cocaine and cannabis. He was refused bail and remanded in custody.
Limerick man tears up drug charges and flushes them in court toilet
A 26-year-old Limerick man charged in connection with possession of over €1.5 million worth of drugs tore up the charge sheets served on him and threw them into a toilet bowl, a court heard on Saturday, breakingnews.ie reports.
Jamie Long, of Thomond Student Village, Ballygrennan, Limerick, appeared before a special weekend sitting of Limerick District Court, where Judge Patricia Ryan refused him bail and remanded him into custody.
Arrest and seizure
Gardaí arrested Long last Wednesday in the front seat of a white Ford transit van at Kilbranish Drive, Woodview, Limerick. He was allegedly found in possession of €70,000 worth of cocaine at the time of arrest, and gardaí also recovered a key to a second Ford transit van parked outside his home address.
Following a search warrant obtained for that vehicle, investigators discovered 11kg of cocaine and 35kg of cannabis inside the second van, with a combined street value of approximately €1.5 million — around €800,000 in cocaine and €700,000 in cannabis.
Detective Garda Anthony Harnett, of the Limerick Divisional Drugs Unit, gave evidence of arresting and charging Long with three counts of possession of drugs for sale or supply, and three counts of possession of drugs for his own use.
Det Garda Harnett told the court that when Long was presented with a copy of the charges, they were "ripped up and thrown into the toilet by him."
Admissions and organised crime links
Det Garda Harnett alleged Long was interviewed on eight occasions and made admissions throughout the process. "Jamie Long was interviewed on eight occasions and made admissions to being a courier and storing drugs for which he had full control of," the detective alleged.
Long allegedly admitted he was in possession of €70,000 of cocaine at the time of his arrest and was en route to deliver it to an unnamed person. He further stated, according to Det Garda Harnett, that "his DNA will be found on every individual pack of cannabis and cocaine that was seized from this vehicle."
Gardaí characterised Long as "an integral part of an organised crime group who are at the forefront of suppliers of controlled substances in the Limerick region and further beyond." Det Garda Harnett alleged Long had admitted he was under duress to store and deliver the drugs in order to repay a drug debt in excess of €50,000, and that he feared harm would come to him should he fail to carry out the group's orders.
Long also stated he is addicted to both cannabis and cocaine. Det Garda Harnett argued that if released on bail, Long would "undoubtedly engage in similar activity to address what is now an even greater debt due to the seizure of the (drugs)."
Bail hearing
The detective objected strongly to bail, stating his belief that Long "will attempt to leave the jurisdiction" if released and describing him as "a serious flight risk." Inspector Martyn Wallace of Henry Street Garda Station reiterated those concerns.
Long's solicitor, Michael O'Donnell, refuted the flight risk assessment, noting his client does not own a passport. O'Donnell proposed conditions including daily sign-on at a garda station, a nightly curfew, and the availability of a substantial independent bail surety that would be forfeited upon any breach. He also noted that Long's partner is currently pregnant.
Judge Patricia Ryan said she was "satisfied," on hearing the evidence, to refuse bail. She indicated the offered surety would not be required.
Remanded in custody
Several members of Long's family were present in court and embraced him following the ruling. He was remanded in custody and is due to appear before Limerick District Court via video-link on 3 March.
Source: Google News AG — Crime