Two Tipperary men*, including a fire fighter, have gone on trial accused of having cocaine worth almost €80,000 for sale or supply after the drug was found during an inspection at a fire station.
Michael Morgan, (43), Cluain Muillean, Nenagh, and John Walsh, (36), of Coille Bheithe, Nenagh, appeared before Nenagh Circuit Court on Wednesday for the second day of their trial.
Cocaine was found in Mr Morgan’s work locker during a routine inspection at Nenagh fire station on January 17th, 2018, the court heard. Several past and present members of Nenagh fire service gave evidence of seeing a white powder substance in a green plastic lunch box after the box was removed from Mr Morgan’s locker.
Gardaí were alerted and the two accused men were later arrested and charged in connection with the seizure of cocaine worth an estimated €78,000.
They are each charged with one count of possessing cocaine worth more than €13,000, which carries a minimum mandatory 10-year jail term, except in exceptional and specific circumstances.
They are also each charged with one count of possession of cocaine for sale or supply, and with one count of simple possession of cocaine.
The jury of seven men and five women heard a number of people would have had access to the firefighters’ work locker area, and that the lockers would routinely be left open to allow firefighters quick access to equipment when responding to emergency calls.
A senior firefighter told the court it would have been relatively easy for contraband to be placed in firefighters’ work lockers at the station. This, the court heard, was due to the lockers being left open or having keys left in the locks.
Garda Andrew O’Loughlin said he responded to a call from Nenagh fire station on the evening in question and was shown a box containing a white rocky/powdery substance in plastic wrappings that had allegedly been discovered in Mr Morgan’s locker.
Garda O’Loughlin said the white substance “looked like it was divided up into equal quantities in equal weight”.
Gardaí also searched Mr Morgan’s home and his personal locker at his workplace, but nothing suspicious was found. A forensic analysis of the contents of the lunch box allegedly found in his work locker confirmed it was cocaine.
The trial continues.
*This article was amended on January 26th, 2023