Man had heroin worth £50,000, court hears

A DUBLIN man previously described in court as a major heroin supplier to the south city has admitted having £50,000 worth of …

A DUBLIN man previously described in court as a major heroin supplier to the south city has admitted having £50,000 worth of the drag for supply.

The State will also apply for the forfeiture of Alan Lynch's assets which the High Court has frozen, Mr Peter Charleton SC, prosecuting, told Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.

Lynch (28) pleaded guilty to possessing the heroin for supply at his home at Alderpark Court, Tallaght, on November 17th, 1995. He was remanded on bail for sentence to February 17th.

Judge Cyril Kelly said Lynch's former girlfriend, Elaine Moore, had been the first person in the state to be charged with the new offence of handling drugs money.

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Last month Moore (26), Alderpark Court, pleaded guilty to handling £8,000 on November 21st, 1995, "knowing or believing such property in whole or in part indirectly represented Alan Lynch's proceeds from drug dealing".

The mother of one also admitted a second charge of allowing her house to be used for heroin distribution on November 17th, 1995. Her sentence hearing has been adjourned to February 5th.

She had lodged money in her account for Lynch, a major heroin supplier in the south city, Garda Michael Monaghan told Judge Kelly at that hearing.

Moore had been living with Lynch at the time and knew he was involved in drugs but did not know the extent. She had since ended the relationship, the garda said

Garda Monaghan said Moore was not involved in Lynch's drug business. He arrested her outside the Ulster Bank on Main Street, Tallaght, and found the money in an envelope. Moore admitted she had lodged some money for Lynch in her own account because she knew if it was found on him he would lose it. He asked her to withdraw £8,000 and she had just collected it when she was arrested.

Garda Monaghan agreed with Mr Eamonn Leahy, defending, that Moore came from a respectable family which was traumatised by this matter. She had no trappings of wealth from the relationship and he did not believe she would present any threat to the community.

Mr Charleton had told her court, hearing the handling offence was new and had come into force with the enactment of the Criminal Justice Act, 1994.