A MAN was stabbed on the orders of his drug supplier following his arrest with £6,000 worth of heroin last year, Dublin Circuit Criminal Court has been told.
Paul McEvitt told gardai he had began selling heroin to fellow addicts to feed his own habit after he was released from a seven year armed robbery sentence. He took to heroin after the death of his father.
McEvitt knew all the "big fishes" in Dublin's drugs culture Del Garda Michael Quinn told Ms Miriam Malone, prosecuting.
The Circuit Court president Mr Justice Spain, put it to the detective that McEvitt must not be liked any more by these major figures if "they were going around stabbing him". Del Garda Quinn replied "Some might not".
McEvitt (30) pleaded guilty to possessing heroin for supply at his flat in Gardiner Place, Dublin, on January 14th, 1995. Sentence was adjourned until June 19th next.
Det Garda Quinn said gardai were searching the flat when McEvitt arrived home. As he was being led into the bedroom to be searched, he tried unsuccessfully to swallow the packet of heroin.
He told gardai he had paid £450 for the drugs and intended to use some himself and sell the rest to others to enable him to feed his own habit.
Defence counsel, Mr George Birmingham, suggested to the detective that the true value of the drugs found was closer to £600 than £6,000. Det Garda Quinn said he was happy with the value put on the haul by a very experienced member of the drug squad. The drugs were 63 per cent pure.
Mr Birmingham said that while on bail last summer his client had been attacked and stabbed in the chest, abdomen and leg. McEvitt told his probation officer the attack was motivated by the loss of the drugs.
Det Garda Quinn agreed this might have been the case, but noted that McEvitt had told gardai at the time he did not know why he was attacked.