Former Ryanair pilot charged with €10m drug seizure not a 'suitable case' for legal aid, court hears

Ellen O'Donoghue

A former Ryanair pilot, charged in connection with the possession of more than €10 million worth of drugs, is not a suitable case for legal aid, a court was told on Wednesday.

At Ennis District Court, Brendan O’Meara (62) of An Tulach, Summerhill, Meelick, Co Clare, was making his second court appearance concerning the Garda seizure of an estimated €10 million of cannabis at Mr O'Meara’s south east Clare home last week.

Mr O’Meara was today appearing in court via video-link from a booth at Limerick prison after a judge refused Mr O’Meara bail at a special sitting of Ennis District Court on Saturday afternoon following Garda objections.

From his prison booth, Mr O’Meara spoke only once when he said ‘Brendan O’Meara’ when asked to state his name for the court.

Solicitor, Țara Godfrey, told the court that she is acting as agent for solicitor, Sarah Ryan, who should be on record for Mr O’Meara.

Judge Alec Gabbett said that he would assign legal aid to Ms Ryan to represent Mr O’Meara, but Ms Godfrey said: “No, it would not be a suitable case for that.”

Judge Gabbett said: “This is a very recent remand from Saturday. Are there directions from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP)?”

In reply, Sgt John Burke said that there are no directions yet available from the DPP, but a cert from Forensic Science Ireland (FSI) would first be required in relation to the alleged drugs.

Ms Godfrey said that she was instructed to consent to a two-week adjournment in the case, and Judge Gabbett further remanded Mr O’Meara in custody to re-appear in court via video link on May 28th.

Mr O’Meara faces two charges - possessing cannabis for sale or supply, and possessing cannabis, on May 7th.

At the contested bail hearing on Saturday, Gardaí told the court Mr O’Meara made no reply to the charges after caution, and that “further, and more serious charges” may be brought against him in respect of the case where Gardaí seized an estimated 502kg of cannabis.

Sergeant Rob Sheehy of the Limerick Divisional Drugs Unit said he was objecting to bail because of the “strength and nature of the evidence” as well as the high value of the drugs.

He told the court that the Garda investigation was in its “infancy”, but he said gardaí believed that “it stretches to a number of countries and there are a number of persons that need to be established”.

He claimed Mr O’Meara was also a flight risk, due to his “aeronautical knowledge”, that he has a number of pilot's licenses, and has links to the USA.

Applying for bail on Saturday, Ms Godfrey said the accused has “three pilots licences including a helicopter licence, a UK pilot licence and an EASA (European Union Aviation Safety Agency) licence”, and he would “hand over” his licences to the State and not leave the country.

“His Ryanair crew card is being returned to his former employers,” Ms Godfrey said.

The solicitor said Mr O’Meara had obtained a Green Card to live and work in the US, and that he was planning on “going to America to his brother who has Parkinson's”.

Ms Godfrey said a sister of Mr O’Meara was in the court and had pledged to act as an independent bail surety for the accused for up to €177,000.

Appealing for the court not to hold the accused in custody, Ms Godfrey said Mr O’Meara “has offered up all the means he could to leave this country”.

“He has significant ties here, his wife is in court, his wife’s sister is in court, his sister is in court, and his (other) sister passed away six weeks ago”.

She said, “He enjoys the presumption of innocence.”