Pair found guilty in €2m cannabis case
on 04/11/2009 19:38:24
Two men have been found guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court of conspiracy to possess drugs three years ago.
Cannabis resin valued at more than €2m was found by gardaí in 14 boxes split between a Ford Transit van and an Opel Astra car in Browns Barn Public house car park. The two accused men were arrested nearby.
William Hynes (43) of Park Close, Dunshaughlin, Co Meath and John Mangan (aged 41) of Whitestown Green, Blanchardstown, had both pleaded not guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to conspiring with others to possess cannabis resin and conspiring with others to possess the drug for sale or supply on July 31, 2006.
Mangan is currently serving a 14-year sentence imposed in May 2008 for possession of cannabis resin valued at €341,787 for sale or supply on February 4, 2006 in Drumcondra and possession of a firearm in the Comet Pub, Santry on August 24, 2007.
The jury reached its guilty verdict on day seven of the trial following almost five hours deliberation.
Judge Patrick McCartan remanded Hynes and Mangan in custody to a sentence date on November 19.
He thanked the jury of five men and seven women and excused the members from jury service for 10 years.
Mr Eanna Mulloy SC (with Mr Paul Carroll BL), prosecuting, told the jury in opening the case that gardaí found 354 kilograms (kg) of cannabis resin in 14 boxes split between two vehicles at Browns Barn pub car park in July 2006. The drugs had a total value of more than €2m.
He said four boxes were found in an Opel Astra that had been driven to the scene and left unlocked and the remaining 10 boxes were found in a Ford Transit van which had been parked beside the Opel Astra at one point.
Mr Mulloy said the value of the 81 kg of cannabis found in the Opel Astra was about €500,000.
Garda witnesses, who were at the scene in plain clothes, gave evidence of the movements of a green Citroen C5 car, driven by Hynes with Mangan initially as a passenger, of the Opel Astra later driven by Mangan to Browns Barn in convey with the Citroen and of a Ford Transit van driven by a third person.
Sergeant Sean Delaney told Mr Mulloy that after the Ford Transit van had been stopped by gardaí and it's driver detained he observed the Citroen coming down a slip road driven by Mr Hynes with Mr Mangan as a passenger.
Sgt Delaney said the two men saw the number of gardaí in the car park of Browns Barn and Hynes turned the vehicle around and headed back on the slip road.
Hynes and Mangan were intercepted by gardaí at the top of the road and arrested.
Detective Garda Patrick Connell told Mr Mulloy that data analysis was performed on one mobile phone seized from Mr Mangan, another mobile phone found in the green Citreon C5 car and a third phone taken from another person arrested at the scene who had been driving the white Ford Transit van.
Det Gda Connell said a report had been generated as a result of the analysis which detailed a call lasting 38 seconds from the third person's phone to Mr Mangan's phone at 11.12am that day.
He said there were nine calls back and forth between the phone found in the green Citroen driven by Mr Hynes and Mr Mangan's phone. He said the calls began at 12.12am and ended at 12.55am and had duration ranging from three seconds and 42 seconds with some connecting and some going to voicemail.
Ms Bridget Fleming, forensic scientist, told Mr Mulloy that her analysis of tape lifts and fabric samples revealed there was "strong support" for the contention that Mr Mangan had been in contact with the Opel Astra.
Mangan told his defence counsel, Mr Blaise O'Carroll SC (Mr William Galvin BL), that he had driven the car to Browns Barn as a favour for "Mr Martin Hyland" and that himself and Hynes had been planning to get something to eat in Browns Barn afterwards but did "a u-turn" when they saw how full the car park was.
He told the jury: "All I know is I drove the car over, I don't know about anything else."
He denied a suggestion by Mr Mulloy that he was telling a "cock and bull story" to mask his involvement in this offence.