A HEROIN network operated by an alleged drug baron now in custody abroad was smashed by a special Garda operation when a formerly engaged couple were jailed, Dublin Circuit Criminal Court has been told.
They had been promised up to £500 a week to help distribute the heroin from a "safe" house, but received only about £170 a week and were subject to hectoring and threatening telephone calls, Judge Michael Moriarty noted.
He asked the prison authorities to take all steps to ensure the welfare of Christopher Byrne and Audrey McAllister. McAllister had received threats since her arrest, and her co defendant could face problems due to his co operation.
Byrne was jailed for six years, with the final three years suspended, and McAllister for five years with the final 40 months suspended.
Judge Moriarty said they had faced a nightmarish situation since their arrest, and life had been ghastly for both of them. Prison would not be easy either.
But he could not ignore the use of people like them to ensure the ongoing supply of heroin which was the greatest single cause of crime and of untold misery for addicts they helped to supply.
When they were wooed by the offer of £500 a week to help distribute the heroin, they knew what they were doing was wrong, and despite Byrne's relationship to major figures involved they could have refused.
Byrne, of Castletymon Road, and McAllister of Ardmore Drive, both Dublin, pleaded guilty to having heroin with a street value of between £5,000 and £7,000 for supply to others at Estaury Court, Swords, Co Dublin, on December 16th, 1994.
Det Sgt John O'Driscoll, divisional drugs unit, told Ms Miram Malone, prosecuting, they were arrested in a special surveillance operation dealing with a major heroin network in the north inner city.
The operation was targeting "a particular family" and their associates. Some brought the heroin in to Ireland and others helped distribute it from safe places, said Det Sgt O'Driscoll. About 10 people had been arrested in the campaign.
The Estuary Court flat was searched after Garda Seamus Boland obtained a warrant. Byrne was found to have six batches totalling 96 street deals in a cigarette box and a further 200 street deals were found hidden behind a mirror in the bathroom.
Det Sgt O'Driscoll agreed with Mr Anthony Sammon, defending, that Byrne had been approached by people related to him to provide a safe place. Byrne was in debt at the time after his motorcycle had been stolen. He also wanted money to marry the codefendant.
Mr Sammon said "evil and scheming individuals" had sought out his client and sucked him into the crime.
Det Sgt O'Driscoll agreed with Mr Patrick Marrinan that McAllister came from a most respectable family. She was head of the household department at Dunnes Stores in St Stephen's Green Centre when arrested and had been always in gainful employment. Drug overlords sought out people who would not be suspect.
McAllister became unhappy with her involvement and wanted to get out of it. For about six weeks before their arrest, both defendants had ceased taking part. They then agreed to participate in one more operation.
Mr Marrinan suggested that the way she was lured into this criminal activity was typical of what he called "the cunning of the central figure involved" who was related to Byrne. She had been threatened on Christmas Day. Her engagement to Byrne also had ended.