Couple who had €5m worth of heroin in their home have sentences adjourned

A couple who had €5m worth of heroin in their home have had their sentence adjourned by Judge Katherine Delahunt at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.

William Byrne (aged 24) with an address at Colbertsfort, Belgard Road, Tallaght, pleaded guilty to possession of the drugs for sale or supply at their rented home on January 12, 2007. He had three prevoius convitions which included a 12-month suspended sentence for drug dealing.

His now ex-girlfriend, Melissa O'Shea (aged 22), pleaded guilty to knowingly allowing the possession of the drugs in the house on the same date. She had no previous convictions and was not known to the gardaí.

The couple have two children together, one of whom was 18 months old at the time. O'Shea has since finished the relationship and has returned to her family home.

Detective Garda Michael Ormonde told Mr Remy Farrell BL, prosecuting, that gardaí accepted that O'Shea only knew about one kilo of heroin found in the sitting room and was not aware of the remaining 24 kilos found in a sports bag and suitcase in the kitchen.

Byrne took full responsibility for the drugs and told gardai that he had been storing them in his home for €500.

A co-accused, Thomas Kennedy (aged 30), with an address at Westbourne Park, Clondalkin, received a 10-year sentence last March from Judge Desmond Hogan after he pleaded guilty to the possession of heroin for sale or supply.

Gardaí found keys for padlocks on both the suitcase and the sports bag sitting next to Kennedy. He initially denied any knowledge of the drugs but it was later accepted that he brought the drugs to the house.

Judge Delahunt remanded Byrne in custody and adjourned sentencing to next February.

She remanded O'Shea on bail, ordered a probation report and adjourned the case to next March before she advised her that the request for the report did not indicate that she was going to get a suspended sentence.