Alert prison officers noticed three young men passing cannabis to an accused at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, right under the eyes of Judge Desmond Hogan.
A short scuffle ensued in Court 8 in the Four Courts before the officers successfully recovered a small packet from a man who was in court for mention of his case arising out of a road traffic offence.
The man, Mark Harris (27) from Turnapin Cottages, Cloghran, was jailed for seven years on May 27th last by Judge Michael White, who imposed consecutive sentences on him for aggravated burglary and other crimes. Judge White suspended four years and six months of the sentence on conditions.
Proceedings were stopped for a short period while the prison officers struggled to restrain Harris as he was ushered out of the court room to the holding cells where the cannabis was recovered.
The men who passed the drug to Harris fled before they could be caught. Prison officers confirmed afterwards they had recovered a small package of cannabis.
Mr Cormac Quinn, counsel for Harris, later told the court that he had spoken to the prison officers and that it was not safe for the case to proceed. The hearing was adjourned until July.
Harris pleaded guilty in May to aggravated burglary and assault causing harm to Mr Jimmy Coyle, whom he slashed eight times with a knife after breaking into his house in River Valley, Swords, on September 2nd, 2003.
Mr Quinn told Judge White at the May hearing that Harris had a heroin problem but now had it under control.