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Professional poker player appears in court accused of supplying drugs

Mark Bamber and Emma Sheerin who appeared in court on Thursday to confirm that they understood the charges against them.

Today at 18:12

TWO men and a woman have been charged with supplying drugs and having criminal property.

Standing side-by-side in the dock were Mark Bamber and Emma Sheerin who appeared in court on Thursday to confirm that they understood the charges against them.

Professional poker player Bamber, from Tobar Park in Cullybackey, is accused of supplying cannabis between April 19, 2022, and March 20 this year.

The 38-year-old faces six other charges allegedly committed over two days in August last year, including having firearms without a certificate, possession of criminal property and having the Class A drug cocaine.

Emma Sheerin, from the Cullybackey Road in Ahoghill, is accused of having criminal property between June 30 and August 21 last year. The 22-year-old has also been charged with possession of cannabis.

A third defendant, Robert McNeill from Waveney Avenue in Ballymena, did not appear in court.

The 41-year-old has been charged with entering an arrangement to acquire criminal property and supplying cannabis on August 21, 2022 — and a further count of possessing cannabis on February 13 this year.

A police officer told the court he could connect all the accused to their respective charges while a defence lawyer for Bamber made a tentative application for a reporting restriction over an alleged threat. He withdrew that application following a brief consultation.

Bamber and Sheerin were freed on bail with the case adjourned until May 11.