Jury acquits man of €3.5m drug possession

A man has been acquitted by a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court jury of possession of heroin and 'ecstasy' with a combined street value of about €3.5m.

Karl Donnelly, aged 31, of Spitalfields, Francis Street, Dublin 8 was released from court by Judge Patrick McCartan. The jury returned its not guilty verdict after six hours deliberations.

Mr Donnelly had pleaded not guilty during his eight-day trial to having 12 kilos of heroin and 83,000 "ecstasy" tablets for sale or supply on September 18, 2001.

Judge McCartan thanked the jury of six men and six women for the time and attention it gave to the case.