A counterfeit clothes dealer was found guilty by a jury at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on Saturday of possessing cannabis valued at £120,000.
John Kelly (42), Belfry, Inchicore, Dublin, was convicted on the sixth day of his trial of having 48 slabs of cannabis resin for sale and supply on May 12th, 1997, at Liffey Valley Park. Judge Frank O'Donnell remanded him in custody for sentence on July 27th.
Garda sniffer-dogs uncovered the cannabis resin after detectives arrested Kelly and another man at the park gates. The gardai described seeing Kelly drop two packages in high grass when they approached him.
Kelly denied having any involvement with the drugs and claimed that £5,400 found in his possession when arrested was to buy bulk counterfeit jeans for his wholesale clothes business.
Kelly was asked by Mr Brendan Grehan, prosecuting, about £90,000 he had in a building society account, the £63,000 cash he paid for his house in 1990, and his cash purchase of BMW and Saab cars. He said he made the money in his clothes business as well as selling pirated cassette tapes and concert tickets.
The jury also heard the second man, Francis O'Reilly (31), of Lower Dominick Street, Dublin, claim responsibility for the drugs and say that Kelly was not involved in any way. He has not been charged in relation to this crime.
Judge O'Donnell warned him he did not have to give any evidence which might incriminate himself, but Mr O'Reilly said he had come to court to tell the truth.
He said he went to Australia seven months after their arrest to try to put his drug problem behind him. His mind became clear while there and he returned in 1998 with the intention of telling the truth to clear Kelly, who was like a father or older brother to him.