Louth heroin importer faces trial

A convicted Louth heroin importer is to stand trial on new charges of possession of heroin and cocaine valued €1.6M for sale or supply two years ago.

Kieran Boylan (aged 36), of Rockfield Close, Ardee, Co Louth has pleaded not guilty to six counts of possession of heroin and cocaine at Lynchs Yard, Curraghbeg, Ardee on October 6, 2005.

Judge Katherine Delahunt set a date in January 2009 for the trial which is due to last three weeks at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.

Boylan was previously jailed in England for seven and a half years in 1997 for possession of cannabis resin and was again jailed in February 2006 by Judge Desmond Hogan at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for five years for possession of heroin and cocaine valued almost €800,000.

The €800,000 cache had been seized at the Shell Service Station on East Wall Rd in the Dublin Docklands on December 2, 2003 following a garda stakeout during which Boylan was observed collecting a package from an English man named Adrian Hill.

Boylan pleaded guilty to having heroin, worth some €583,600 and cocaine, worth €204,000, for sale or supply on that occasion.

Det. Gda Declan O’Brien told prosecuting counsel, Mr Fergal Foley BL, that the heroin was found on the Dublin Docks and that Boylan told gardai he received "instructions" to pick up the package and deliver it to "a third man" in Louth.

Det. Gda O’Brien said the cocaine was found at a premises in Louth, not Boylan’s home address. Gardai also found €30,000 cash at Boylan’s parental home in Drumcar in Louth and another €12,000 cash in a microwave oven at an address in Moorehall, Ardee.

Judge Hogan said when imposing the five year sentence that he was aware Boylan was in debt and under pressure from the English criminals in his previous conviction who blamed him for "loosing their property" and that he felt he owed them money to cover their loss, but his involvement was still a serious crime.

He suspended the last two years of the five year term on condition that Boylan kept the peace and be of good behaviour for five years after noting that a co-accused in that case, who had no previous convictions, had been sentenced to three years at Dundalk Circuit Criminal Court.