A murder victim whose body was recovered from the Grand Canal two years ago had been instructed by an accused man to smuggle heroin from Amsterdam to Dublin, the Central Criminal Court has heard.
The court also heard allegations that the accused, Mr Mark Desmond, threatened to "blow the head off" another man after a kilo of heroin was seized at Dublin Airport.
Prosecution witness Mr Jonathan Desmond yesterday told the court that he travelled twice to Holland with Mr Mark Desmond - his first cousin - in late 1999. The accused paid for the airline tickets and the hotel.
On the second trip, they met Mr Patrick Murray and Mr Gary Kelly, the witness said. He said the men were later joined by Mr Darren Carey "who, I believe, brought over 20,000 Dutch guilders."
Heroin was purchased and was passed over by Mr Murray to Mr Kelly on Mr Mark Desmond's instructions to be brought back to Dublin Airport the following day.
Mr Carey and Mr Murray were shot in the head and their bodies dumped in the Grand Canal sometime between December 28th, 19 99 and January 10th, 2000.
Mr Jonathan Desmond said he and Mr Murray stayed in Amsterdam while the accused flew home to Dublin. A few days later, the accused returned to Amsterdam and told him the heroin "got through customs". The witness said another heroin deal was then arranged. Mr Murray and Mr Kelly were told to bring the heroin back through Dublin "but Mark changed his mind at the last minute and they were told to go back through England."
He heard subsequently there was a problem at the airport. "I took it to mean the drugs had been seized," Mr Desmond said.
He said a few days later the accused asked to meet him at a relative's house at Lally Road, Ballyfermot. They were there a short time when Mr Carey and Mr Murray joined them.
Mr Jonathan Desmond alleged that the accused called Mr Murray "a lazy bastard for coming back through Dublin Airport and not going through England." Asked what the atmosphere was like at this meeting, he replied: "a nervous, tense type."
He added: "Patrick said he put his hands up for the drugs and that he brought them in for himself and not for Mark. He asked me did I think Patrick was telling the truth. I said 'yes, I think he was'. Mark wasn't so sure."
The witness claimed that in late December, over the back wall of a house at Lally Road, the accused showed him three shotguns and a number of cartridges. He identified the weapons in court as those allegedly produced by the accused.
Mr Jonathan Desmond further claimed that the accused questioned Mr Kelly "about the drugs at the airport and what he had said to the police" but if he "kept his mouth shut" everything would be OK. "Mark said if he said anything he'd blow his head off. Darren was trying to calm him down."
Mr Mark Desmond (27) formerly of Lally Road, Ballyfermot, Dublin, has pleaded not guilty to having three shotguns, a rifle and one 12-gauge shotgun cartridge with intent to endanger life at Lally Road between October 1st, 1999 and February 17th, 2000.
The trial continues today.