Father of six denied bail over €200,000 heroin haul

A FATHER of six charged in connection with a large haul of heroin was refused bail yesterday.

Brendan Reilly, aged 42, from Dublin’s north inner city, is alleged to have been caught with €200,000 worth of heroin over the weekend.

He is charged with possession of heroin and possession with intent to supply.

Reilly’s solicitor Fiona Brennan told Dublin District Court that her client denies the charges.

Detective Garda Vincent Campbell of the North Central Drugs Unit said the accused was arrested on Clontarf Road last Saturday at 11pm.

He was taken to Store Street Garda Station, where he was detained under Section 2 of the Criminal Justice (Drug Trafficking) Act.

He said Reilly, from Langrishe Place, Summerhill, made no reply when he was charged on two counts at the station on Sunday.

Gda Campbell said he was objecting to bail as Reilly was allegedly in possession of a quantity of diamorphine (heroin) worth €200,000, which could result in life imprisonment if he is convicted.

“He was caught red-handed in physical possession of the diamorphine. If released on bail, he will commitfuture serious offences, namely Section 15 sale of heroin,” said Gda Campbell.

“There will be further charges regarding this offence — Section 15A, where he can serve a sentence of 10 years or more.”

Ms Brennan said Reilly was attending North Strand Health Centre and was receiving methadone. She said her client was living with his elderly parents.

She said he had six children and had “significant domestic responsibilities”.

Ms Brennan said Reilly had a medical condition — thrombosis — and that he was willing to sign in at a garda station twice daily if granted bail.

Judge Cormac Dunne said under the bail act, bail could be refused if it was considered reasonable to prevent serious offences.

“There is no doubt the allegations are serious and the sentence, if convicted, is certainly serious,” he said. “There are submissions also that the accused was caught red handed, with approximately €200,000 worth of product in his possession.”

Judge Dunne also tookinto account that theaccused was addicted to drugs. He remanded Reilly in custody to appear before Cloverhill District Court on Friday.