Two men charged over €3m drugs seizure remanded in custody

Two men have been refused bail after being charged in relation to the seizure on Wednesday of a €3 million heroin consignment.

Keith Quinn (31) and Andrew Noonan (41) were remanded in custody by judge John Brennan in separate hearings on Saturday at the Criminal Courts of Justice.

Both men were charged with two counts of possession and with possession with intent to supply drugs, contrary to Sections Three and 15 of the Misuse of Drugs Act.

Garda Redmond O’Leary of Dun Laoghaire Garda station gave evidence of arresting Mr Noonan, with an address at Red Rose, Ellistown, Co Kildare, in the Rosemount Industrial Estate in Dublin 11, on August 5th.

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He told the court the Garda was objecting to bail due to the seriousness of the charges and the possibility that the defendant was a flight risk.

Mr Noonan’s solicitor Claire Usher told the judge Mr Noonan was a father of four and deeply involved in sporting organisations in the community, where he was a football trainer.

She said his passport was in possession of gardaí and he would be willing to surrender it, as well as making a substantial cash lodgement. She said her client was entitled to the presumption of innocence.

However, the judge ruled that given the serious nature of the alleged offences he would remand Mr Noonan in custody to appear before Clondalkin District Court by videolink on August 13th.

Addressing the court on behalf of Mr Quinn, with an address at Monastery Gare Avenue Clondalkin, Dublin, Karl Monahan BL said his client was well-known in football circles and was a father-of-one who enjoyed a good relationship with his partner and child.

Mr Monahan said Mr Quinn was a footballer who played in the League of Ireland and was entitled to bail, particularly given what was potentially a long wait for trial.

He said the economic impact on defendants and their families of denying bail could be severe and he asked that the presumption of innocence be taken into account for his client.

However, the judge said, given the serious nature of the charges, he was remanding Mr Quinn in custody to appear before Clondalkin District Court by videolink on August 13th.