A LIMERICK man caught with ecstasy tablets worth £100,000 has had the balance of his three year sentence suspended by Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
George Browne told gardai he would "get a bullet" if he named the Limerick "Mr Big" who organised the drug run in 1995. He made a £150 taxi round trip to collect the drug from a contact at the Green Isle Hotel, Clondalkin.
The President of the Circuit Court, Mr Justice Frank Spain, imposed a three year sentence on June 12th, 1996, and requested that Browne get all necessary drug counselling while in custody. He, set the case down for review yesterday and suspended the balance with Browne remaining under the supervision of the Probation and Welfare Service.
Browne (40), of St Patrick's Road, Limerick, pleaded guilty to possessing 4,418 tablets for sale or supply on April 7th, 1995.
Gardai stopped the taxi at Castletroy, near Limerick, and 200 of the tablets were found on him. Browne pointed out another bag containing the rest of the drugs which he had hidden in the front passenger seat. He said he was to be paid 200 tablets to collect the drugs for "Mr Big" in Limerick who had recruited him after he accrued debts as a result of the loss of his taxi driver employment, a detective told Mr Bruce Antoniotti, prosecuting.
Browne said he had abused ecstasy for a while but stopped because he believed it was a young person's drug. The taxi driver was not involved in the crime, he added in a statement.
The haul would have been worth £100,000 in 1995 but the, price per tablets had dropped since then. Ecstasy abuse was as much a problem in Limerick as in Dublin and other cities, the court heard.