Posted by Bail granted Retired garda superintendent charged with having more than €13k worth of cannabis at Dublin home
John Murphy (61) appeared in court today after being charged by gardai investigating organised crime in the capital
October 04 2021 01:36 PM
A retired garda superintendent has been charged with having more than €13,000 worth of cannabis for sale or supply at his north Dublin home.
John Murphy (61) appeared in court today after being charged by gardai investigating organised crime in the capital.
He was granted bail on condition he has no contact with four people whose names were not read out in court for security reasons.
Judge Bryan Smyth remanded him in custody with consent to bail, requiring a €20,000 surety before it can be taken up.
Mr Murphy is charged with possession of cannabis with intent to sell or supply at his home on September 29.
Today, Detective Sergeant Brian Hanley of the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation gave evidence of Mr Murphy’s arrest, charge and caution.
He told Dublin District Court the accused was arrested at Irishtown Garda Station for the purpose of charge at 8.07pm yesterday. Mr Murphy made no reply after caution and was handed a copy of the charge sheet.
Judge Smyth asked Det Sgt Hanley if he had any objections to bail. He replied that having spoken to the defence, the prosecution was not objecting to bail but seeking conditions.
Defence solicitor Robert Purcell asked that the accused’s address not be read out “primarily for safety and security.” It would be part of bail conditions that he was not to have contact with certain people who are named and Mr Purcell asked that those people should not be named in court “for the same reason.”
Bail would not be taken up today and the court would be making an order to remand in custody with consent to bail, he added.
Judge Smyth asked if Mr Murphy had a passport.
Det Sgt Hanley said the passport had been seized.
Judge Smyth granted bail in the accused’s own bond of €500, with no cash lodgement. He required an independent surety of €20,000, with approval of this to be on notice to the gardai.
Under conditions, Mr Murphy is to live at the address provided and sign on daily at a garda station between 9am and 9pm. He is to surrender his passport, not apply for a duplicate, and provide gardai within 24 hours with a mobile phone number that he is contactable on at all times.
Mr Murphy is to have no contact, directly or indirectly, including by electronic means, with four named individuals. He is also to commit no offences and be of good behaviour.
He was remanded in custody with consent to Cloverhill District Court this Friday, October 8.
Tweets:-
· Is ex-superindent John Murphy getting special treatment from media? No pics, despite him appearing in court. Misleading reporting about the quantity of drugs [€13k is the threshold for the supply offence, doesn’t matter if it’s €13,001 or €600k or €6m]. No word on Hutch dto. Quote Tweet
nwl @nwl88444048 · 33m John Murphy was in court today. If it was a single mum from Finglas press photographers would be swarming around looking for a clear shot of their frightened faces and they’d be plastered across our media. Anyone seen a pic of ex-superintendent John Murphy? Rhetorical question!
Show this thread
nwl @nwl88444048 · Just to clear up some confusion, s15a of the 1999 Criminal Justice Act specifies €13,000 worth of drugs as the threshold for charging with the most serious ‘intent to supply’. The reporting this morning should state Murphy was charged with possession “of more than €13,000” Quote Tweet
nwl @nwl88444048 · 38m Top court reporter Tom Tuite has the reporting from today’s hearing for ex-superintendent John Murphy. https://irishexaminer.com/news/courtandcrime/arid-40712873.html Bail has been approved, subject to conditions. No word on charges of colluding with Hutch dto and the charge appears to be for €13k cannabis, not €600k
==========
nwl @nwl88444048 · Named! The 61-year old retired Garda superintendent arrested last Wed on suspicion of colluding with Hutch dto is John Murphy. He was in court today charged with possession of €13,000 [.65kg] cannabis. Remanded in custody, next court appearance on Friday. Quote Tweet
nwl @nwl88444048 · Oct 1 The 61-year old male retired superintendent [who retired before 2016] has had his custody extended by 72 hrs. He is suspected of assisting the Hutch drug trafficking organisation. Hasn’t the public interest tipped privacy for our glorious media to identify the arrested suspect? twitter.com/nwl88444048/st…
The accused, dressed in a blue zip-up top and dark trousers and wearing a blue face mask, did not address the court during the brief hearing and has not yet entered a plea to the charge, which is under Section 15a of the Misuse of Drugs Act.
Who Watches the Watchers? 