TWO MEN were yesterday remanded in custody after they pleaded guilty to possessing cocaine worth almost €5 million seized by gardaí and Customs during a raid on a lock-up shed in north Cork last year.
Seán O’Donovan (45) and Richard Deutschenbaur (56) both pleaded guilty at Cork Circuit Criminal Court yesterday to the single charge of possessing cocaine worth some €4.8 million for sale or supply at Ballinakilla, Bartlemy, Co Cork, on October 13th last.
O’Donovan, from Ballinakilla, Bartlemy, and Deutschenbaur, a German national but with an address at Alinggas, Sweden, have both been in custody since October 13th when they were arrested in relation to the 80kg drug seizure.
O’Donovan’s counsel, Tim O’Leary SC, said a number of technical defences were open to his client, but that by opting to plead guilty at the first available opportunity he had saved the State the expense and time of a trial probably lasting two weeks. Deutschenbaur’s counsel, Jim O’Mahony SC, made the same argument in respect of his client, but asked to have sentencing adjourned to allow for an oncologist’s report as his client had suffered from a brain tumour in recent years.
Deutschenbaur had undergone surgery in March 2010 for the removal of a brain tumour, and it was the third time he had undergone such an operation.
An MRI scan in August 2011 had shown a growth had returned on the left side of his brain.
He had been due to undergo another MRI scan in February, but had not been able to do since he was in custody, said Mr O’Mahony.
He asked that his client receive all necessary treatment while in Cork Prison as he was “obviously worried about his health”.
Prosecution barrister Don McCarthy said the State had no objection to adjourning sentencing to allow an oncologist’s report be prepared on Deutschenbaur.
Judge Patrick Moran remanded both men in continuing custody for sentence on June 22nd