The owner of a Dublin nightclub, Goucho's, has pleaded not guilty to drug charges after his club was raided, a jury has been told at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Up to 58 gardai entered the premises at 1.10 a.m. on February 1st, 1995, and raided the toilets, which were considered "control centres" for cannabis use. The officers searched the floor and took control of the winebar.
They recovered 26 ecstasy tablets, 26 items of cannabis resin and five packs of unidentified white powder.
Insp Thomas Murphy told Mr Padraig Dwyer BL, prosecuting, there were about 250 people between the ages of 18 and 20 on the premises, many of the males were stripped to the waist and the females scantily clad, wearing bratops, sweating profusely and dancing to a "rave-type" beat.
The music was switched off and the lights turned on but some of the patrons continued dancing. He issued instructions for everyone to sit on the floor with their hands on their heads. Insp Murphy said "some others started swallowing white tablets and one guy had a plastic bag and swallowed its contents".
Mr Michael McLoughlin (38), married, of Gortmore Park, Finglas, has pleaded not guilty to six drug charges at the nightclub in Powerscourt Centre, South William Street, when raided in February, 1995.
The charges included the preparation of cannabis, allowing the consumption of cannabis on the premises, possession of ecstasy, and possession of "speed". The trial is expected to last three days.
Insp Murphy described the air was "pungent" with a cannabis smell and said there were plastic wrappers on the floor and cardboard used for the cannabis.
When he arrested Mr McLoughlin the accused turned to him saying: "Insp Murphy, I'm going to sue you."
He agreed with Mr Gerard Clarke SC, defending, that Mr McLoughlin's home was searched and was "as clean as a whistle".
Sgt Mark Kavanagh said gardai made four prior "informative visits" and went into the club under the Liquor Licensing Act before the raid. It was inspected on four separate occasions between October 1995 and February 1996.
The trial continues before Judge Dominic Lynch.