Mother offers deeds of house in £500k drugs case

The information was revealed duringabail application for one of the

men charged in connection with the 500,000 drugs seizure in Portstewart

last month.

On October 15, officers from the PSNI's Crime Team seized 90.000

ecstasy tablets.

The haul has been described as the biggest seizure in Northern Ireland in the last three years.

Since then four more people have been charged in connection with the

haul.

At Monday's sitting of North Antrim Magistrates Court, three of the accused appeared before the court via video link from Maghaberry Prison.

20-year-old Daniel Morrow of the Promenade in Portstewart and James Desmond Platt (20) of Coleraine Road in Portrush were remanded in custody, and will appear before the court again on December 6.

The District Judge, Richard Wilson, declined a bail application for 21-

year-old Ruairi McGlade of Enterprise Parade in Portstewart.

Bail had already been refused twice for the defendant, who is charged

with possession of a class 'A' drug, possession with intent to supply,

conspiracy to supply a class 'A' drug, possession of a class 'B' drug,

possession with intent to supply and conspiracy to supply a class B' drug.

SNI officer, Constable Cochrane, told the court that police were

objecting to bail on two grounds, the possibility of McGlade interfering

with witnesses and the possibility of re-offending.

McGlade's barrister, Mr Moriarty, told the court that although it was a

large investigation, he believed that 'substantial progress' had been made.

The constable confirmed this, and said that a large part of the investigation was of a forensic nature.

Mr Moriarty claimed that on the day in question, his client had gone to an address at Millford Close with Shaun

Paul McManus, one of the co-accused, to lag pipes. He said that McGlade then travelled to an address on the Promenade, where McManus opened up a tool box and revealed a large quantity of drugs.

The barrister said that his client was 'shocked' by the content of the tool box and called a friend to get him away from the flat.

Mr Moriarty claimed that McGlade then left the house, and as he walked

passed the address again he saw the police.

The barrister said that when police approached McGlade he told the

officers that McManus was the person they were looking for.

Mr Moriarty said that McGlade's mother had various health complaints

and that her son was 'her rock'. He told the court that Mrs McGlade

was prepared to put forward the deeds of her 170,000 home as a surety for her son, and added that a family friend would hand over 5,000 in cash as another surety.

Mr Moriarty said: "She is prepared to give all that she owns, this is a strong expression of confidence."

Outlining objections to bail, a spokesperson for the PPS told the

court that it was a 'very serious and complicated investigation'

The PPS spokesperson said that there was nothing new in the bail

application before the court. She said that police surveillance

had noted McGlade and McManus 'looking around them' as they took the

toolbox containing the drugs into the flat at the Promenade.

District Judge, Richard Wilson rejected the bail application. McGlade was remanded in custody. He will appear before the court again on December 6, via video link.

A fourth man charged in connection with the seizure appeared in person at the court.

Matthew McGookin (23) of the Promenadein Portstewartwas granted

bail by the High Court last month. He will re-appear again on December 6