Galway Advertiser 2008/GA_2008_02_28/GA_2802_E1_018.pdf 

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18 N E W S

www.galwayadvertiser.ie

February 28 2008

City drugs mule arrested while bringing heroin to his dealer
A 24-year-old drugs mule who was caught redhanded walking down a city street in the middle of the day with over 10,000 worth of heroin in his possession, was remanded in custody until June while a circuit court judge considers what sentence should be imposed. Paul Byrne, of 20 Parnell Court, Carrickmacross, Co Monaghan, had been staying in rented accommodation in Laurel Park, Galway, when he was arrested and charged with having heroin in his possession for sale or supply to others at Bohermore, Galway, on November 28, 2006. He pleaded guilty to the charge at Galway Circuit Criminal Court this week. Garda Michael Guerin gave evidence that he and Garda Ken Clancy of the Divisional Drugs Unit were on duty at 2pm in the Bohermore area when they noticed Byrne walking along the footpath near Cemetery Cross. He covered his face with his hands when the patrol car passed by. The gardai turned the car around and came back and spoke to Byrne. They told him they were going to search him and he immediately handed two rolls of tinfoil `pipes' to Garda Guerin. Garda Ken Clancy continued to search Byrne and found two bags of heroin in his jacket pocket. They weighed in at 54.464 grams with a street value of 10,892. Byrne told the gardai he had been given 2,600 to go to Dublin the day before to pick up the heroin and bring it back to Galway. He had arrived back in Galway that morning and was on his way to deliver the drugs to a man in a house when he was intercepted. Garda Guerin said he believed Byrne when he told him he could not identify this man because he was afraid to do so. The accused said he was to be given a small quantity of heroin for bringing the drug to Galway and he had intended using some of it to feed his own heroin addiction and sell the rest on for some money. Garda Guerin said Byrne had "fallen on hard times" after coming to Galway. He had been in the city for a year prior to this offence and had been homeless for a time living in the Fairgreen Hostel. The garda said that while Byrne was known to him and his colleagues for being a drug user, he had no previous convictions. He said the accused, who had no history of employment, had returned to live with his mother in Carrickmacross after being charged but had always come back for every court appearance to answer his bail. Garda Guerin said Byrne has been drug-free since November 17 last year. He had undergone regular urine analysis tests and they all tested negative for drugs. Mr Martin Giblin, SC, said his client was now drug free and had the support of his family. He said his client had made a complete break from the drugs scene in Galway and he felt the gardai had done him a favour when they arrested him that day in Bohermore by taking him off the `slippery slope' he had been on. Judge Raymond Groarke said drug dealing was a serious offence and it was accepted by all that Byrne was being used as a drugs mule at the time. How 2,600 could be converted into 10,000 worth of drugs overnight, the judge observed, was anybody's guess, but what was clear was that Byrne was a chronic drug addict at the time, and even up to last November he was still a serious drug user. Judge Groarke noted Byrne had no history of employment but, he said, it was best not to speculate how he was able to feed a serious drug habit while being homeless with no job. He commended Byrne for weaning himself off heroin by going `cold turkey', which was an extraordinarily difficult task. The judge said he had a two and a half year sentence in mind for this offence but, he said, he needed time to think about it and balance society's desire to punish the accused for such a serious crime with his degree of rehabilitation. He said he had to consider the situation and he remanded Byrne in custody to June 5 next for sentencing

Connacht Rugby player Mike McCarthy and Andrew Farley give Enable Ireland's Joanne Murphy a lift at the launch of the Milano Fashion Show which will take place on Wednesday March 20. The Connacht players will be on hand on the night to help Enable Ireland raise much needed funds at the charity fashion show. Photo:-Mike Shaughnessy