Trio charged over £20,000 drugs haul

Brendan Joseph John Harkin (30) and Ryan Emmett Donaghey (26), both of Carranbane Walk, and 27-year-old Kevin Whoriskey are jointly charged with possessing the class A drug with intent to supply and simple possession of the Ecstasy on September 14 last

Whoriskey, a taxi driver from Bloomfield Park, faces further charges of supplying cannabis and motoring offences.

Londonderry Magistrate’s Court heard that police stopped the car the trio were travelling in on the Foyle Bridge.

Officers carried out a search of the car and found a large bag containing 5,000 suspected ecstasy tablets under the front passenger seat.

The court was told the three men were arrested and interviewed over the course of a day.

During interview, Whoriskey said he worked as a taxi driver and he had received a call from Harkin to take him to Portstewart. The 27-year-old admitted to police that he had supplied cannabis to his friends.

His co-accused Donaghey told police he had been taking diazepam on the night in question and had been in a stupor. The 26-year-old claimed he couldn't remember where he had been apart from Ballykelly and the Foyle Bridge.

Harkin, who had only been released from jail the day before, said he had got the taxi to go and look at a car in Portstewart. The court was told that Harkin and Donaghy were on bail for other offences and police believe they had breached the terms and conditions of this by consuming alcohol.

Opposing bail for all three of the men, the investigating officer said police feared that Harkin and Donaghy would re-offend and not adhere to bail conditions.

The officer said that, while Whoriskey had no criminal record and was not the "principal party" in the alleged offences, police would also be objecting to bail for him.

He added: "Drugs are not just bought on tick. Someone will be looking for their money. It is 20,000 worth of drugs and we believe that further offences will be committed to obtain that money."

Defence solicitor Paddy McGurk, representing Donaghey and Harkin, said both men denied any knowledge of the drugs.

He told the court Donaghey had and an "unsavoury record" but had no previous convictions for drugs offences, while Harkin had no convictions for supplying drugs.

Whoriskey's defence solicitor, Seamus Quigley, told the court the 27-year-old was unknown to police and "was a taxi driver, who on the face of it, got caught up in this."

District Judge Barney McElholm granted bail to Whoriskey, saying he was of the view that he "played a minor role in this."

Whoriskey was released on his own bail of 750, ordered to abide by a curfew, sign bail once a week, banned from taking non-prescribed drugs and from entering Coleraine or Portstewart.

However, the judge refused bail for Donaghey and Whoriskey. Mr McElholm said he was satisfied that neither of the men would abide by bail conditions and there was a clear fear they would commit further offences.

The three men will appear in court again on October 7.