Man charged with €400,000 drug haul denied bail

A man accused of having almost almost €400,000 worth of ecstasy tablets in a car at Glanmire, Co Cork had a bail application refused in court today.

Mark Wolfe, aged 29, of 2 Ashford Heights, Banduff, Mayfield, Cork, was charged with having the MDMA better known as ecstasy for sale or supply to others at Dunkettle, Glanmire on Tuesday, February 10.

He also faces a charge of having the illegal drugs with a street value specified as greater than €13,000, a charge which carries a mandatory minimum jail sentence of ten years on conviction.

Garda Barry Myers who arrested Wolfe objected to bail being granted to Wolfe because of the seriousness of the charge and the likely sentence on conviction.

“I believe that if he is granted bail there is a strong possibility he won’t turn up,” Garda Myers of Midleton Garda Station said at Cork District Court.

Defence solicitor, Frank Buttimer, said the supposition that the defendant would not turn up was based on Garda Myers’ “gut feeling”.

Wolfe said he was needed at home and he would turn up in court if granted bail.

“I will turn up. All my ties are here. I tried to go to England before, it didn’t work, I came back. I will sign on or keep a curfew,” the defendant said.

Judge Uinsin MacGruairc said the seriousness of the charge did not mean that the defendant could not get bail but he said that in all of the circumstances he would remand the accused in custody.

Inspector Con Cadogan, who claimed the defendant was caught red-handed, asked for the case to be adjourned until February 18.