This article is from page 64 of the 2007-04-03 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 64 JPG
ALLEGATIONS that the family of an Ennis heroin addict have been intimidated by a drug dealer were made in court yesterday.
The claim by an Ennis solicitor came in the case of Cathal Mulcaire (25), who was sentenced to four months in jail, after he pleaded guilty to possession of cannabis resin, for
sale or supply, on May 25 last year.
Ennis District Court was told that Mulcaire, of Apt 1, Chapel Lane, En- nis, brought a bar of cannabis resin – valued at €1,750 – on a bus from Limerick to Clare, with the intention of exchanging it with a dealer for four bags of heroin.
His solicitor Tara Godfrey said the incident arose from her client’s ad- diction to heroin.
“My client would have gone to Limerick for the bar of cannabis, to give to his suppliers for the purposes of getting the four bags of heroin,’ said the solicitor.
“He obtained this bar of cannabis, not for the purpose of supply, rather it was to get the heroin which he craved so badly,” she added.
Garda Stephen Hession told the court the accused co-operated with
the investigation, but did not tell gardai who the source was.
Ms Godfrey said, “My client was in fear in relation to the source. The people who were to have received this bar visited his father, his brother and his elderly grandmother. His father eventually came up with the money and had to pay. The entire family were intimidated.”
Judge Joseph Mangan asked Inspec-
tor Tom Kennedy, prosecuting, was that the first time this allegation had come to the notice of the Prosecution. Inspector Kennedy said it was.
The judge asked, “Can I take it it will be fully investigated?” and was told it would be.
He jailed Mulcaire for four months, to run consecutively to a ten-month term he is currently serving for an- other offence.