A DUBLIN man who returned from Liverpool after Christmas 1994 to take charge of heroin worth £18,000 has been jailed for six years.
James Dunne's arrest came as part of a Garda operation code named "Family Tree" but he was not the main target. He was not a street seller of the drug, Det Sgt John O'Driscoll told Dublin Circuit Criminal Court yesterday.
Judge Patrick Smith said Dunne was not a user of heroin and by his involvement he showed no concern for the evil effects the drug had on other people and the community in general.
Dunne (38), separated and a father of two, with addresses at Glenmalure Park and Alfie Byrne House, Dublin 8, pleaded guilty earlier this year to possessing the heroin for supply on December 16th 1994.
Det Sgt O'Driscoll said that during the "Family Tree" operation 17 people were arrested and many of these were street dealers.
He agreed with Mr Eamonn Leahy, defending, that Dunne was not at the "top of the pyramid". He also agreed Dunne had four relatively minor convictions dating back to his late teens but none was for drugs. He had a good work record.
Det Sgt O'Driscoll said six gardai went to search the house at Glenmalure Park with a snifferdog. They discovered that Dunne and a woman had been living in the house.
The house was empty when they arrived but a short time later a woman and her brother turned up.
When the prosecution counsel, Mr Bruce Antoniotti, asked if gardai believed that these people were not involved, Det Sgt O'Driscoll said they had been arrested but he was satisfied they were not "main players".
With the help of the sniffer dog seven packages of heroin were found with a value of up to £18,000.
Dunne was in Liverpool at the time but became aware of the search. He stayed abroad for Christmas and arrived back on December 28th 1994.
He met Det Sgt O'Driscoll by appointment outside Store Street Garda station and was arrested.
In a statement he said the drugs came from Liverpool. He claimed he had met a man in a pub in Ireland on December 10th and five days later they met again and brought the drugs to the house. He claimed he received £300 for his part in the deal.
Dunne said that by the time the drugs had been found he was in Liverpool. He heard about the raid and travelled back to meet the gardai.