Dentist gives evidence in Ireland's biggest cocaine case

18/06/2008 - 18:58:54
One of the men on trial in relation to the recovery of €440m worth of cocaine off the West Cork coast had to make an emergency visit to a dentist in Cork two weeks before the drugs seizure and today the jury heard evidence from the dentist.

Liam O’Sullivan testified that Perry Wharrie visited his dental surgery at Tower, Blarney, County Cork, shortly after 2pm on June 20, 2007 and that he had a very pleasant manner.

Perry Wharrie (aged 48), of 60 Pyrles Lane, Essex, England, is on trial at Cork Circuit Criminal Court since last month with co-accused, Martin Wanden (aged 45), of no fixed abode, and Joseph Daly (aged 4)1, from 9 Carrisbrook Avenue, Bexley, Kent.

They all deny the charges of possessing cocaine, possessing it with intent to sell or supply, and having it for sale or supply when its street value exceeded €13,000 on July 2 2007 at Dunlough Bay, Mizen, Goleen, Co Cork.

Dentist, Liam O’Sullivan, said he received a call from the Ramada Hotel in Blarney to the effect that they had a guest who required emergency treatment, and an appointment was made for after 2pm on June 20.

The witness said the patient identified himself on a medical questionnaire as Perry Wharrie with an address at Pyrles Lane, Essex, and a date of birth of August 2 1959.

The dentist said the patient had what he would describe as a routine toothache for which he prescribed a course of Amoxacyllin antibiotic.

"I saw him for a matter of five minutes. He was six foot, one or six foot, two, with grey hair and a very pleasant manner. He said he was on a golfing holiday in Ireland but that the weather was quite poor.

"I would have said he had a London accent or somewhere from that general area," Mr O’Sullivan testified.

The nine men and three women of the jury previously heard garda evidence of a field in the vicinity of Dunlough Bay being searched and the finding of scraps of paper variously containing the words, Perry, Wharrie, pharmacy and Tower.

The trial will go into its 19th day today.