A Derry man charged with multiple drug offences has been refused bail at the city’s Magistrates Court.
Patrick O’Hara, 24, of Mount Street, faces thirteen charges in relation to drugs supply, including being concerned in the supply of class A and B drugs, namely cocaine and cannabis, and class C drugs Xanax, diazepam and zopiclone.
He is further charged with stealing bank cards and dishonestly using electricity. All offences are said to have taken place between December 2017 – March 2018.
A police officer confirmed that he could connect the defendant to the charges and said phones had been seized for examination. Searches were conducted at properties in the city, including his address at Mount Street and another in Creggan Heights.
The defendant was in the company of his partner and two children when two mobiles were seized along with suspected diazepam tablets. The police officer said magnets were found on the electricity meter as well as bank cards belonging to an unknown man and woman.
On examination his phone showed ‘various images related to drugs supply’ such as ‘large quantities of cocaine and xanax’. In the bedroom of a house where he occasionally resides in the Creggan area of the city, herbal cannabis, deal bags and digital scales were found, the police officer added. Tinfoil was also found which police believe was used to wrap drug packages.
Phone conversations showed drugs were ‘purchased online’ and ‘posted to other buyers’, the officer added. O’Hara gave ‘a largely no comment’ police interview but made admissions in relation to the electrical offences.
He did however say that the drug photos were received through group chats which are then automatically saved to his phone. The 24-year-old also admitted the cannabis was for his own personal use but refused to comment further on any of the other accusations.
The court was told that O’Hara has 32 previous convictions, many of which were for drug related offences. Bail was objected to due to a ‘serious risk of reoffending’ and ‘interfering with the investigation’.
The officer also alleged that while in police custody the defendant shouted to another man who was on the phone to his mother to, ‘tell the boys to get rid of their phones’.
Too early
Defence solicitor Paddy MacDermott asked for his client to be released to his home address, explaining that his partner and children would move out to live with her mother. He added that O’Hara has made ‘certain admissions’ and had been ‘dealing in a small way to feed his habit’ but he denies ‘posting or selling in a large scale’.
It was accepted that O’Hara is ‘unfortunately a man with a record for these offences’ but Mr MacDermott said his client was ‘certainly not benefiting financially’. Requesting bail, the defence solicitor said there would be delays before any preliminary enquiry.
Refusing bail, District Judge Barney McElholm said it was ‘far too early to risk granting bail’ and O’Hara has ‘already attempted to interfere’. “If released he would no doubt pursue that,” he added.
The defendant was remanded in custody to appear again for a court sitting on April 5.
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