A MEMBER of a Garda drugs team who gave evidence in a court case which resulted in the conviction of Michael Byrne said yesterday he was the “most significant” player in the west Dublin area.
Det Sgt Greg Sheehan of the Garda Drug Investigation Unit said yesterday he hoped Judge Frank O’Donnell’s sentence would send out a “salutary” lesson to major drug dealers to “desist” from their operations.
The garda said that the length of the sentence handed down to Byrne yesterday was justified considering the “hardship” which heroin has brought to various communities in the capital. “I would say he’s the most significant person in the west of Dublin city at this current time,” he said.
“I would say it’s probably the lengthiest sentence that has been passed down in a trial from the section of the Garda National Drug Unit that I’m attached to.
“I’m satisfied that justice has been done today for the people of Dublin in relation to the hardship that heroin has brought to different communities. We always say there’s always somebody else there to supply a market. If the market is there somebody will supply it and that’s our task to try and stop the people making the profit from that drug as we’ve seen here today in the courts.”
