Man charged in connection with €300k Cork drugs seizures

A 32-year-old man has been remanded on bail after he was charged by gardaí in connection with drug seizures worth over €300,000 at two separate locations in Cork City on Thursday.

Stephen O’Hara with an address at Winter’s Hill, Sunday’s Well, Cork was brought before a special sitting of Cork District Court on Saturday where he was charged with a total of four offences.

Mr O’Hara was first charged with possession of cannabis herb and possession of cannabis herb for sale or supply following the seizure of €6,000 worth of the drug on Grattan Street on January 5th.

He was also charged with possessing cannabis herb and possessing cannabis herb for sale or supply in relation to €300,000 worth of the drug found at Winter’s Hill, Sunday’s Well on the same date.

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Det Garda Robert Kennedy of the Cork City Divisional Drugs Squad gave evidence of arrest, charge and caution and told the court that Mr O’Hara made no reply to any of the four charges after caution.

Insp Sean Leahy said gardaí were not objecting to bail for Mr O’Hara once he abided by certain conditions and defence solicitor, Aoife Buttimer, said the conditions were agreeable to her client.

Det Garda Kennedy said gardaí wanted Mr O’Hara to reside at his address at Winter’s Hill and sign on each Monday, Wednesday and Friday at Bridewell Garda station in Cork City centre.

They also wanted him to surrender his passport and not apply for any new travel documents and to supply gardaí with a mobile phone number on which he would be contactable 24/7.

Judge Olann Kelleher asked Mr O’Hara if he fully understood the bail terms and warned him that if he breached any of them, he would put himself at risk of losing bail and being remanded in custody.

Mr O’Hara confirmed he fully understood the bail terms and he assured Judge Kelleher that he would abide fully by the bail conditions and he signed the bail bond as required by the court.

Insp Leahy said gardaí were seeking a remand until February 7th for DPP’s directions on the matter and Judge Kelleher remanded Mr O’Hara on bail to appear again in court on that date.

Judge Kelleher also granted Mr O’Hara free legal aid after Ms Buttimer said that he was not working and the judge assigned Ms Buttimer to represent him in the case.