Kingscourt man refused bail in connection with €5M drug bust

Two men have been further remanded in custody in connection with the seizure of over €5M worth of drugs in Co Meath last week.

Garden centre owner Matthew Farrell (64) of Lisagoan, Kingscourt, Co Cavan, and his co-accused Joseph Sherry (61) of Allagesh, Smithborough, Co Monaghan, appeared via video link at a sitting of Trim District Court yesterday morning (Tuesday).

Both men are charged with having a combined total street value of €5.39M worth of cocaine and heroin for sale or supply at Leggagh, Castletown, Co Meath, on Tuesday.

A previous sitting at Navan District Court last Friday was told the drugs arrived into Ireland in a container that arrived at Dublin Port from Netherlands before gardaí allowed for the “controlled delivery” of the drugs to a storage unit at Leggagh, Castletown, where Mr Farrell and Mr Sherry were present.

The court heard Mr Farrell’s name was listed as the recipient on the pallet that arrived at the storage unit and in which the drugs were concealed.

Detective Paul Cullen of Navan Garda Station and Garda Ben McGarry of the Meath Divisional Drugs Unit gave evidence of arrest, charge and caution.

Both men made no reply when the charges were put to them.

Detective Cullen told the court that the drugs were recovered as a result of an intelligence-led joint operation that was conducted by Revenue’s Customs Service, the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau, and the Meath/Westmeath Divisional Drugs and Crime Units.

The court heard that gardaí had disrupted a transnational drugs gang that has “vast resources and networks".

There were objections to bail in the case of both accused.

Gardaí said the reasons for their objections included the seriousness of the charges facing both men and the strength of the evidence against them.

Following lengthy contested bail hearings, Judge Éirinn McKiernan refused bail in the case of both men.

Judge McKiernan also reserved her judgement on applications for legal aid after gardaí told the court that they believed both of the defendants to be men of means.

Mr Farrell and Mr Sherry were remanded in custody to appear before Trim District Court on Tuesday (17th June) via video-link for DPP directions.