A former Ryanair pilot, charged on Saturday with possession of more than €10 million worth of drugs, has international criminal connections, gardaí alleged in court.
Brendan O’Meara, (62), of An Tulach, Summerhill, Meelick, Co Clare, was refused bail before a special sitting of Ennis District Court.
“He [Mr O’Meara] has international criminal connections regarding the supply of controlled drugs,” Garda Sgt Rob Sheehy, of the Limerick Divisional Drugs Unit, alleged before Judge Marie Keane, during a contested bail hearing.
Mr O’Meara faces two charges: possessing cannabis for sale or supply, and possessing cannabis, on May 7th.
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Gardaí told the court Mr O’Meara made no reply to the charges, and that “further and more serious charges” may be brought against him in respect of the case.
The accused did not enter a plea in court. Gardaí alleged that Mr O’Meara had made certain “admissions” while in custody following his arrest last Wednesday.
Mr O’Meara, who was hugged and kissed in the court by his wife, and two relatives, recently handed in his notice to Ryanair, it was heard.
He had been intending on moving to the United States to care for his brother, who suffers from Parkinson’s disease.
Sgt Sheehy said he considered Mr O’Meara a “flight risk”, and that, if granted bail, he would “attempt to leave the country” and not appear for trial.
Gardaí seized pallets of cannabis with a street value of more than €10 million at Mr O’Meara’s home, last Wednesday, May 7th.
Outlining the alleged facts, Sgt Sheehy said gardaí received “confidential information“ in respect of a pallet delivery at Mr O’Meara’s home address.
Sgt Sheehy said gardaí then obtained a search warrant at Ennis District Court. He said when gardaí searched the accused’s address, they seized “an estimated 502kg of cannabis worth in excess of €10 million”.
Mr O’Meara was arrested at his home and brought to Henry Street Garda station, where he was detained under section 2 of the Drug Trafficking Act.
Sgt Sheehy said he was objecting to bail because of the “strength and nature of the evidence” as well as the high value of the drugs.
He alleged that gardaí had obtained evidence to support their case, including “CCTV footage“ of Mr O’Meara at a “courier depot” on May 6th, a day before gardaí allege the cannabis haul was delivered to his home; as well as phone records showing alleged “conversations in respect of the supply of drugs through Europe”.
Sgt Sheehy alleged Mr O’Meara was “caught red-handed on his property”.
He told the court that the Garda investigation was in its “infancy”, but he said gardaí believed that “it stretches to a number of countries and there are a number of persons that need to be established”.
“We believe granting [Mr O’Meara] bail would hinder the progress of our investigation,” Sgt Sheehy told the court.
He claimed Mr O’Meara was also a flight risk, due to his “aeronautical knowledge”, that he has a number of pilots licences, and links to the US.
“He has a green card and he is in the process of moving his life to the USA, Columbus, Ohio, and he has handed in his notice to his job,” Sgt Sheehy said.
He said Mr O’Meara was intending to head to the US to care for a relative who is ill.
Applying for bail, Mr O’Meara’s solicitor, Tara Godfrey, said the accused has “three pilots licences including a helicopter licence, a UK pilot licence and an EASA (European Union Aviation Safety Agency) licence”, and he would “hand over” his licences to the State and not leave the country.
“His Ryanair crew card is being returned to his former employers,” Ms Godfrey said.
The solicitor said Mr O’Meara had obtained a green card to live and work in the US, and that he was planning on “going to America to his brother who has Parkinson’s”.
Ms Godfrey said a sister of Mr O’Meara was in the court and had pledged to act as an independent bail surety for the accused for up to €177,000.
Appealing for the court not to hold the accused in custody, Ms Godfrey said Mr O’Meara “has offered up all the means he could to leave this country”.
“He has significant ties here, his wife is in court, his wife’s sister is in court, his sister is in court, and his [other] sister passed away six weeks ago.”
“He enjoys the presumption of innocence, and I would ask the court not to remand him in custody,” Ms Godfrey concluded.
Judge Keane agreed that Mr O’Meara “maintains his presumption of innocence”.
The judge said she was satisfied that gardaí had “a credible case” in respect of their concerns about the accused being a “flight risk”.
In refusing bail, the judge said she had also considered that the accused “has ties to another jurisdiction”.
Judge Keane described the amount of drugs seized as “enormous”.
“The seriousness of the alleged offence overrides everything else. There is also the nature and strength of the evidence and his (alleged) admissions while in custody,” said Judge Keane.
She remanded Mr O’Meara in custody to appear before Ennis District Court via video-link, for directions from the Director of Public Prosecutions, on May 14th.
