The Court of Criminal Appeal yesterday dismissed a Dublin man’s appeal against the severity of his 18-year sentence for having €6.4 million worth of heroin in his van.
Michael Byrne (39), of Old Tower, Clondalkin, was jailed for 18 years by Judge Frank O’Donnell in April 2010 after he was found guilty by a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court jury of having heroin for sale or supply. Byrne had pleaded not guilty to possession of 32kg of the drug in Palmerstown on January 15th, 2008. Byrne was observed by a Garda operation unloading the heroin from his van and hiding it in a park. Byrne gave evidence that when he went to pick up his van, which he had lent to a friend of his brothers, he saw drugs, panicked and was trying to get rid of the heroin when gardaí moved in.