Man caught with €11m worth of heroin awaits sentence

A man caught with heroin valued at almost €11 million - the then largest single seizure of the drug in the history of the State - has been remanded in custody pending sentence by Judge Katherine Delahunt at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.

Stephen Carlile (aged 23), was paid €400 per week to mind almost €11.5 million worth of heroin and cannabis, along with a stash of guns and ammunition in his apartment at Aras na Cluaine, Nangor Road, Clondalkin.

The father of one was also paid the €1,100 monthly rent on the apartment, described by gardai as "effectively a drug warehouse in which the heroin was prepared for sale".

Carlile pleaded guilty to possession for sale or supply of over €10.6 million worth of heroin, €839,000 of cannabis, and to unlawful possession of a machine pistol, 1,609 rounds of a variety of ammunition, four magazine pistols and two silencers at the apartment on October 24, 2006.

Inspector Gerard Delmar told Mr Dominic McGinn BL, prosecuting, that a search of the apartment also revealed a radio scanner and speed loaders for loading firearms. The drugs and firearms were found easily in the bedroom and a small storage cupboard.

Photographs of Carlile, his passport and his girlfriend’s driving license were also found there along with a tenant agreement for the apartment signed by him.

Carlile immediately took responsibility for both the firearms and drugs after being arrested. He had three previous convictions for public order and road traffic offences.

Insp Delmar agreed with Mr Michael O’Higgins SC (with Mr David Wheelahan BL), defending, that Carlile said he was told by the people he agreed to mind the haul for, that if the drugs were confiscated, he would be killed or if he ran away, his family would be killed.

He said he had no option but to take responsibility for the drugs because "he knew the consequences" when he got involved.

Insp Delmar agreed that Carlile got involved in the operation because of a cocaine addiction that had run him into massive debt.

He accepted that Carlile was "at the lowest scale of involvement" and that one of the primary reasons for his involvement was because he was "manipulated by other serious players in the crime scene".

Insp Delmar further accepted a suggestion that this was a major investigation: "Yes, it was the biggest single seizure of heroin in the history of the State at the time. The apartment was effectively a drug warehouse," Insp Delmar replied.

He told Mr O’Higgins that others were involved in the operation and that although people were arrested, they were never charged. He said gardai were satisfied that neither the drugs nor the firearms belonged to Carlile and it was never his intention to use the guns.

Mr O’Higgins told Judge Delahunt that his client had a four-year-old child from a previous relationship and was with his current partner for three years.

He said he had previously been diagnosed with an attentive deficit disorder and asked for the case to be adjourned to allow for a more thorough psychiatric assessment.

Mr O’Higgins said Carlile agreed to a deal that others "would run the proverbial mile from" because "he was looking through the prism of cocaine addiction and a potential attention deficit disorder."