A FORMER League of Ireland footballer, Mr Derek Dunne, has denied being involved in smuggling heroin. Mr Dunne (27), told a jury at Liverpool Crown Court yesterday that he had nothing to do with drug dealing.
A former player with St Patrick's Athletic, he has pleaded not guilty to plotting with his brother, Mr David Dunne, Liverpool men Anthony Wilkinson and John Lavin and others to export heroin to Dublin between July 1st 1994 and March 21st, 1995.
Mr Dunne told the jury he got to know Wilkinson at the end of 1993 after meeting Ms Louise Hyams, whose aunt lived with Mr Wilkinson in Liverpool. In 1994 and up to early 1995, he used to come to Liverpool twice a month. "I was coming to see Louise."
He explained he could not put her phone number in his book because his wife did not know about the relationship, so he used Wilkinson's first name.
He said he had been coming to England since about 1989 to watch football matches, particularly in Liverpool and Manchester.
Wilkinson sold counterfeit designer clothes and, after buying some for himself, Mr Dunne began buying larger quantities from him so he could sell them himself in Ireland.
He said he paid Wilkinson not less than £300 to bring them over from Liverpool to his home at Alfie Byrne House, Granville Street, Dublin, about five or six times and also paid for his ferry fare each time.
Wilkinson got the clothes from a man called Frank and they would go to the shed behind Frank's home where kept samples and stock.
Cross examined by Mr James Rae, prosecuting, Mr Dunne denied the conversations with Wilkinson involved arranging drug shipments. Earlier his barrister, Mr Charles Garside QC, asked him if he had known about the arrest of Wilkinson and Lavin before his own arrest. Mr Dunne said he had.
"Did you have anything to do with heroin dealing with Wilkinson and Lavin?" asked Mr Garside. Mr Dunne replied: "No I did not". "Have you ever had anything to do with heroin dealing at all?" asked Mr Garside. "No," he replied.
Mr Dunne was arrested in January at Manchester Airport.
The case continues.