Graiguecullen Man alleged to have been found with €2.5m of cannabis

A man charged with the trafficking of €2.5m worth of drugs in Athy last summer is to stand trial at Naas Circuit Court. Cody Dooley of Rochfort Manor, Graiguecullen, Carlow appeared at the last sitting of Naas District Court in January to have the charge of Section 15 a of the Misuse of Drugs Act – trafficking narcotics with a value greater than €10,000 – added to his docket, having been arrested that morning to be formally charged with the new offence.

Mr Dooley (21) had already been charged with possession of drugs and possession with intent to supply – and in all, six of his seven charges were drug related.

The offences are alleged to have occurred at Foxhill, Athy on 27 June last.

It is alleged that on the day in question, Mr Dooley and an unnamed accomplice were observed by gardaí moving eight boxes from a van to a shed rented by Mr Dooley, where gardaí discovered 62.5kg of cannabis and a small amount of amphetamines.

At his initial arraignment on 29 June, he was deemed a flight risk and remanded in custody.

Although he later was able to get bail in the High Court, he was returned to custody on 28 January because the book of evidence was not ready at that time. He stayed in this custody until last week (6 March), when he learned from the dock that the state had completed all the formalities but  the investigating garda was absent at the crucial moment.

“He was here earlier, will you give me five minutes?” Sergeant Dave Hanrahan asked Judge Desmond Zaidan.

Garda Eamon Tighe was quickly found, however, and confirmed that the book of evidence had been formally handed over to Mr Dooley and his solicitor Kelly Manning that morning. He told the court that the DPP had directed the defendant to stand trial “at the present sittings of Naas Circuit Court, which began on 14 January”. 

He confirmed that six of Mr Dooley’s seven charges were drug-related, all stemming from the afternoon of 27 June, “when the accused accepted delivery of 62 bags of cannabis at Foxhill in Athy”.

Judge Zaidan then granted Mr Dooley bail and legal aid for both senior and junior counsel.

“No issues from either side on fitness to stand (trial)?” asked the judge, and both Ms Manning and Garda Tighe confirmed “no”.