Joe Donogher, a 54-year-old landscaper, and Darren Shields, a 47-year-old exotic animal breeder, were charged and granted bail with stern stipulations following their arrest associated with a cocaine seizure, worth approximately €150,000, in the city of Dublin on Thursday last week. Both men stood before Judge David McHugh on the subsequent Saturday in the Dublin District Court.
Donogher, a resident of Ashlawn Park, Ballybrack, faces allegations of illegal possession and the intenstion to distribute the cocaine obtained from Pearse Villas, Sallynoggin on May 16th. Similarly, his fellow defendant Shields, residing at Cedar Court, Ballybrack, is charged with being in possession of cocaine intended for sale. Moreover, part of the contraband was discovered in his van on Pearse Street, Sallynoggin on the same day.
The pair have yet to declare how they plan to plead to the charges, despite facing objections to their bail. The hearing revealed that Donogher, who is a father of four, did not respond to the charges. Garda Philip Lavery voiced concerns about the likelihood of Donogher absconding, since he’s believed to possess substantial funds. Notwithstanding, during a cross-examination with defence counsel Kevin O’Higgins, it was disclosed that Donogher only had “a few hundred euros” in his account.
Judge McHugh set down a €3,000 bail requirement, instructing Donogher to relinquish his passport, report daily to a Garda station, and avoid any contact with Shields. He directed Donogher to return to court on September 4th, awaiting instructions from the DPP and a drugs forensic analysis certificate.
Garda Paul Brierly shared that Shields was allegedly found handing over a package containing up to 2kg of suspected cocaine, valued at €140,000, with an additional €10,000 worth in his van, accompanied by scales, packaging material, and a mixing agent. Brierly also recounted the discovery of €78,460 in cash during a house search. He conveyed concerns about Shields being a flight risk, but this was disputed by Shields’ solicitor Benedict O’Connor, as his client had no passport, which was ultimately accepted by the court officer.
The courtroom was informed that, in addition to his profession as a carpet and flooring installer, the accused also ran a secondary business dealing in the breeding and trading of unique creatures such as parrots and reptiles.
The presiding judge was convinced of his connections to the jurisdiction and correspondingly gave him a bail of €3,000, subject to certain stipulations.
The judge granted Mr Shields bail on the understanding that he would return to court on the 26th of July, awaiting guidance from the DPP and a certificate of forensic drug analysis.