Sentence adjourned for man accused in relation to heroin seizure

He was paid €400 per week to mind almost €11.5m worth of heroin and cannabis, along with a stash of guns and ammunition.

The father of one was also paid the €1,100 monthly rent on the apartment, described by gardaí as "effectively a drug warehouse", where the heroin was prepared for sale.

Inspector Gerard Delmar agreed with defence counsel, Mr Michael O’Higgins SC (with Mr David Wheelahan BL), that the people who hired Carlile threatened him that if the drugs were confiscated, he would be killed or, if he ran away, his family would be killed.

Carlile pleaded guilty to possession of heroin valued over €10.6m, cannabis valued €839,000, a machine pistol, 1,609 rounds of a variety of ammunition, four magazine pistols and two silencers at the apartment on Nangor Road, Clondalkin on October 24, 2006.

Mr O’Higgins told Judge Delahunt that a psychiatric report before the court indicated that Carlile suffered from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) that had gone undiagnosed for many years.

The report went on to suggest that if Carlile had received the proper treatment when it was needed "he wouldn’t find himself in the position he does today".

"A person who has a bit of savvy and weighs things up and decides that it is worth the risk is different to other more vulnerable people who get involved without thinking two or three fences ahead," Mr O’Higgins said.

Judge Delahunt adjourned the case to next week to allow her time to consider judgements from previous hearings in which other criminals with ADHD had been sentenced on drug charges and a new psychiatric report before the court.

Inspector Delmar told prosecuting counsel, Mr Dominic McGinn BL, that a search of the apartment also revealed a radio scanner and speed loaders for loading firearms. The drugs and firearms were found easily in the bedroom and in a small storage cupboard.

Photographs of Carlile, his passport and his girlfriend’s driving license were also found there along with a tenant agreement for the apartment signed by him.

Inspector Delmar agreed with Mr O’Higgins that Carlile took responsibility for both the firearms and drugs after being arrested.

Carlile said he had no option but to take responsibility for the drugs because "he knew the consequences" when he got involved. He had three previous convictions for public order and road traffic offences

Inspector Delmar agreed that Carlile was "at the lowest scale of involvement" and that one of the "primary reasons for his involvement was because he was manipulated by other serious players in the crime scene".

He also accepted a further suggestion by Mr O’Higgins that this was a major investigation. "Yes, it was the biggest single seizure of heroin in the history of the State at the time," Inspector Delmar replied.

He told Mr O’Higgins that others were involved in the operation and that although people were arrested, they were never charged.

He said gardaí were satisfied that neither the drugs nor the firearms belonged to Carlile and it was never his intention to use the guns.

Mr O’Higgins told Judge Delahunt that Carlile had a four-year-old child from a previous relationship and was with his current partner for three years.

Mr O’Higgins submitted that Carlile agreed to a deal that others "would run the proverbial mile from" because "he was looking through the prism of cocaine addiction and a potential attention deficit disorder."