This article is from page 7 of the 2006-06-06 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 7 JPG
A DRUGS charge against an Ennis man has been dismissed in the District Court.
Brian Greene (30), of Cornmarket Apartments, Mill Road, Ennis, was charged with possession of heroin on July 15 last year.
Sergeant John Brennan told Ennis Court that he obtained a warrant to search the home of the accused. He said that he knocked on the door and got no reply.
“I was aware the tenant was in the apartment. My colleague used a sledge hammer to open the door. The door was locked and there was a chain on the door,” said Sgt Brennan.
A second door, inside the exterior door, was also locked and that was also struck with a sledge hammer.
He said he could see two people sitting in the living quarters of the apartment and his colleague found a syringe and “a very small amount of brownish powder” in the sink.
The tap was running and the accused denied flushing anything down the sink and said he did not see anyone flushing anything down.
He asked the accused why the front door was locked, and was told, “There are people after me . . for security.” He told gardaí the items in the sink were not his.
Defending solicitor Tara Godfrey said there was a party in the apartment the previous night and music was blaring when the gardai called. Sgt Brennan said he had no recollection of loud music.
His colleague, Det Garda Seamus McMahon said he found syringes “lying virtually everywhere in the apartment.”
He recovered a corner of a white plastic bag, containing brown powder, in the kitchen.
Ms Godfrey applied for direction, on a number of grounds. She said that possession was not proved against her client.
Judge Joseph Mangan granted her application and dismissed the case.