Cab gets orders for €270,000

The Criminal Assets Bureau has secured orders for the seizure of some €270,000 from a father and son after a High Court judge said yesterday he was satisfied those monies were the proceeds of drug dealing activities and crime.

The court, however, refused to make seizure orders regarding other smaller sums.

The President of the High Court, Mr Justice Joseph Finnegan made the orders against Michael O'Neill, of Cloverhill Road, Ballyfermot, Dublin, and his son Brian O'Neill, who had occupied an apartment at Marshall Court, Bridgefoot Street, Dublin.

Michael O'Neill had claimed the monies were related to his horse-dealing activities while his son, said to be living in Wales, did not attend the court hearing.

During the hearing, it was alleged by Cab that Michael O'Neill has been a significant figure in a Dublin-based criminal gang involved in importing heroin from the UK.

It was also alleged that Brian O'Neill, who had failed to appear to answer drug charges here, continues to supply Michael O'Neill with a substantial amount of heroin on a weekly basis from Wales.

The judge said those particular claims were based on hearsay and rejected them.

However, he said he was satisfied that some of the monies seized were the result of drug-dealing activities and he made seizure orders regarding those sums.

Brian O'Neill is currently using the name Barry McGuigan and, while living in Wales, had bought and sold a house, two Mitsubishi jeeps and one Mercedes people carrier, the court heard.

The bulk of the monies which were the subject of Cab's application were found during a search near the rear boundary of Michael O'Neill's home at Cloverhill Road, Ballyfermot, on February 3rd, 1999, where Brian O'Neill was also present, the court was told.

During that search, a quantity of heroin and cannabis resin, two sawn-off shotguns, one handgun and one smoke grenade were also found.

A floor safe containing a large quantity of cash in punts and sterling was found in Michael O'Neill's bedroom and a further safe, concealed by a slab of concrete, was found in a stable to the rear.

The judge said he was satisfied the sums of €102,670 cash and £9,225 sterling cash seized on February 3rd, 1999 were the proceeds of crime.

He was also satisfied that a sterling bank draft for £91,000 seized on May 3rd, 2001 from a woman outside the AIB branch at Clanbrassil Street, Dundalk, Co Louth, which was made out to a solicitor in Wales, was also the proceeds of crime.