A MAN who served nine years for attempted murder of a garda has been remanded in custody for sentence tomorrow morning for having almost £500,000 worth of cannabis for supply in 1994.
The cannabis was in two hold all bags in a car stopped by gardai. The driver, John Doran, acknowledged the bags contained "hash" and when asked whose cannabis it was, Doran replied. "You know who the ... owns it."
Doran (43), of Blackditch Road, Ballyfermot, Dublin, pleaded guilty to having 49.2 kg of cannabis for sale or supply at the M50 at Castleknock on November 28th, 1994.
Dublin Circuit Criminal Court was told Doran previously served nine years of a 12 year sentence imposed in 1981 for attempted murder of a garda following a £100,000 armed robbery. He was arrested in the Dublin mountains after that incident.
Det Sgt Jeremiah Healy said when Doran was stopped he tried to do a U turn on the motorway but wire in the centre thwarted him. The two hold all bags were clearly visible in the car to both Doran and his passenger, Mr David Lindsay.
A nolle prosequi was entered by Mr Gregory Murphy SC (with Mr Paul McDermott), prosecuting, for two charges against Mr Lindsay (25), of Seacliffe Drive, Dublin. He had pleaded not guilty to both charges of possession of the cannabis for supply and to possession of it on the same occasion, when a jury was sworn to try both men.
Judge Kieran O'Connor discharged him and rejected an application by Mr Brendan Grogan SC (with Mr Ricardo Dourado) for a verdict of not guilty in respect of Mr Lindsay. The court was told he had denied any knowledge of the cannabis from the time gardai stopped Doran's car after a chase on to the M50.
Det Sgt Healy said Doran had been spotted by Garda Tom O'Connor driving an English registered white Toyota car and two unmarked Garda cars followed him, alerting other gardai.
Doran had almost £2,000 cash when arrested. There was sufficient cannabis to make 477,718 "joints" with a street value of almost £500,000.
Det Sgt Healy said Doran was unemployed and married with three children. He lived in a Dublin Corporation house and had been in custody since last December, when his bail on this matter was revoked. He had a total of 15 previous convictions.
Judge O'Connor adjourned sentence to tomorrow so that another indictment, also concerning possession of cannabis, could be dealt with at the same time. He said he couldn't deal with that case until High Court proceedings had finished.
Mr Patrick Gageby SC (with Mr Padraig Dwyer), defending, said he needed time to deal with the High Court matter. His client wanted to have it dealt with at this time.