An Englishman who was part of a €1.5 million heroin deal between two criminal gangs on both sides of the Irish Sea has been jailed for 12 years at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Stuart Motley was arrested by gardaí, with a second Englishman, Stephen Ryan, and an unnamed Irishman following a surveillance operation on a Ford Mondeo car that arrived in Dublin Port on February 11th, 2003, the court was told.
Motley at court this morning
Gardaí followed the car to the Dead Man's Inn pub on the Old Lucan Road and swooped when Motley took the spare wheel out of the booth. They found just over eight kilogrammes of heroin with an estimated street value of €1.478,000 million hidden in the tyre.
Motley (37), with an address in Cala Honda on Spain's Costa del Sol, but originally from Wren's Close, Stropsley, Luton in Bedfordshire, pleaded guilty to the unlawful possession of heroin with a street value in excess of €13,000 for sale or supply on February 11th, 2003.
Judge Frank O'Donnell said he was told Motley made no admission while in Garda custody and because of the value and quantity of the drugs involved he had no doubt he was a "very big-time player".
Stephen Ryan (40), from Ennersdale, Skelnersdale, England, was jailed for six years by Judge Desmond Hogan last October with the final two years suspended.
The court heard Ryan got involved in the operation because he owed a £100,000 debt in England and his role was to make the introduction between Motley and the other man in the car park of the Dead Man's Inn pub.