A former professional boxer, Mr Thomas Mullen from Dublin, accused of conspiring to smuggle heroin into Ireland, is to face a retrial in London after a jury failed to agree yesterday. Mr Mullen will return to Snaresbrook Crown Court in east London at the end of the month for a pleas and direction hearing before going to trial again. He has been remanded in custody until then.
Mr Mullen will return to Snaresbrook Court in east London at the end of the month for a plea and direction hearing before going to trial again. He has been remanded in custody until then.
Mr Mullen claimed during the trial he had been summoned to an IRA council meeting and blackmailed into supplying terrorists with £1 million.
The court was told Mr Mullen financed a luxury lifestyle in north London and took out a mortgage on an upmarket flat with nearly £6,000 in £5 notes. The jury heard earlier in the week that defendant Ms Katherine Brooks (33), was arrested by police as she took a taxi to London City Airport and was discovered to be carrying 1kg of heroin. When officers returned to her address they discovered another 4kg of the drug ready for shipment.
Mr Mullen, originally from Clonliffe Road, Dublin, was arrested when detectives caught him leaving a safe deposit box centre in Hampstead with more than £100,000 sterling in a holdall. In all, they discovered nearly £200,000 sterling in Mr Mullen's possession or in the safe deposit box.
Summing up yesterday, Judge Timothy King told the jury they should not find Mr Mullen guilty by association just because Mr Mullen's co-defendant Mr Mustafa has pleaded guilty to exporting heroin and because Ms Brooks, who turned Queen's Evidence, had admitted possession of heroin with intent to supply.
Mr Graham Blower, prosecuting, told Judge King that there would be no question of dropping the charge.