A HIGH Court judge has expressed annoyance over a late application by lawyers representing convicted drug trafficker Perry Wharrie to have an extradition hearing adjourned.
Mr Justice Michael Peart made his comments yesterday when an application to extradite English-born Wharrie - jailed here over his role in a major cocaine smuggling operation in Co Cork - was due to get under way.
UK authorities are seeking the extradition of London-born Wharrie (48), with an address at Pyrles Lane, Loughton, Essex, for breaching conditions of his release after serving a sentence relating to the armed robbery of a Securicor van at Hemel Hempstead on April 14th, 1988, during which a police officer was shot dead.
The hearing was scheduled to take place before Mr Justice Peart yesterday but was adjourned following a request from Wharrie's legal team, who said they had not yet dealt with certain matters relating to the British justice system.
While agreeing to adjourn, Mr Justice Peart said he wished to express his "disappointment and express his objections in the strongest possible terms" to the request, which "ought not to have happened".
He said he had been assured, as recently as last Monday, that the hearing would be going ahead.
The hearing had been fixed some time ago and court time was "precious", the judge said.
He also noted that two police officers from the UK had travelled to Dublin to act as observers in the hearing. He remanded Wharrie in custody to November 27th.
Wharrie, with two other men, was convicted in connection with the shooting dead of off-duty police officer Frank Mason (27), a former journalist, who had intervened during the armed robbery.
During a struggle, a single shot was fired by another person, which killed PC Mason.
In 1989, Wharrie was given a life sentence for the officer's murder, and concurrent sentences for robbery and the firearms offences.
He was freed on licence in 2005, having served 16 years.
The UK authorities claim Wharrie was released by the UK authorities on licence in April 2005 but had breached conditions, including that he remain in the UK unless he received permission from the authorities.
Earlier this year, Wharrie and two other men received lengthy jail sentences for their involvement in an operation to smuggle €400 million worth of cocaine found floating in Dunlough Bay, Mizen Head, on July 2nd, 2007, after the smugglers' boat capsized.