GRANTED BAIL | 

Dublin dad charged as gardai find cannabis worth €50k in flat and €8k cash in pencil case

Edward Higgins (39) was granted bail and had his case adjourned when he appeared in Dublin District Court

Yesterday at 15:49

A father-of-three was found with €50,000 worth of cannabis stored in his flat after gardai stopped him driving and discovered more than €8,000 in drug sale proceeds in a pencil case in the car, it is alleged.

Edward Higgins (39) was granted bail and had his case adjourned when he appeared in Dublin District Court.

Mr Higgins, of Mountjoy Square North, Dublin 1 is charged with possession of cannabis for sale or supply.

The prosecuting garda objected to bail, citing the nature and seriousness of the allegations.

Outlining the prosecution’s case, she told Judge Bryan Smyth she was on patrol in the Clontarf area on July 14 when she stopped the accused driving a Toyota on the Malahide Road.

Mr Higgins was searched and gardai found €200 worth of cannabis in small deal bags as well as €8,680 in cash.

The money was believed to be the proceeds of selling cannabis and was found in a sock in a child’s pencil case underneath the front passenger seat.

The accused initially provided an address at Killane Road, East Wall which the gardai believed was not his current address and was a deliberate attempt to mislead them.

He was arrested and brought to Clontarf garda station while a warrant was obtained to search a flat at Mountjoy Square North where Mr Higgins was sole occupier.

Gardai found cannabis in deal bags in the apartment with an estimated combined value of €50,000.

Applying for bail, defence solicitor Emer O’Sullivan said the East Wall address was the accused’s parent’s house where he did stay.

She put it to the garda that when they went to the Mountjoy Square flat there was no evidence of anyone living there full time.

The garda said it seemed that the flat was being used for the purpose of holding the drugs.

She feared if the accused was granted bail he would not turn up in court.

Ms O’Sullivan said her client was looking after his three young children while his partner was working.

The garda said she believed Mr Higgins was transporting the money when he was stopped.

Judge Smyth set bail in the accused’s own bond of €200, with an independent surety of €1,500.

Under conditions, he is to sign on daily at a garda station, live at the Mountjoy Square flat and observe a night time curfew.

He was remanded on bail to appear in court next year for DPP directions.