Northern Ireland

Drugs trio avoid jail after judge urges them to tackle their addictions

Laganside Court in Belfast
Laganside Court in Belfast Laganside Court in Belfast

THREE people who were arrested in a drugs den in east Belfast avoided being sent to jail today by a judge who urged them to tackle their addictions.

Judge Stephen Fowler said that society would benefit from the trio addressing their addictions with the help of probation services - but warned any breaches would result in a prison sentence.

Heroin addicts Peter Carlisle and Ashling Graham, who are both 40 and from Cedarmount in Antrim, appeared at Belfast Crown Court along with 28-year old Edward Mongan, from Sandown Park in Ballymena.

All three were arrested by police who searched a flat at Haig Street on the evening of June 8 last year, under the Misuse of Drugs Act.

The property - described as a "drugs den" by prosecution barrister Mark Farrell - was locked and police had to force their way into the living room, where all three defendants were.

During the search, police found 15 plastic wraps containing a total amount of 11 grams of heroin. Other items in the flat included heroin burned on a spoon which Mr Farrell said indicated the Class A drug had just been consumed.

Mr Farrell said the heroin found totalled around £1,000, and a further £225 in cash was found on Mongan, whose fingerprints were located on some of the plastic wrap bags. The prosecutor said that when the phones of all three were analysed, there was evidence which showed Carlisle supplied heroin between friends/associates.

The two men and woman were arrested, and while all three admitted they had been taking heroin the day of the search, all three denied possessing heroin with intent to supply.

While all three admitted a charge of possessing heroin, Carlisle also pleaded guilty to offering to supply the Class A drug.

Sean O'Hare, the barrister representing Graham, said that last summer his client and her partner were effectively homeless - but they now had a home in Antrim. He said that since the move, Graham has been trying to turn her life around.

Defence barrister Joel Lindsay, representing Carlisle, said his client has been a drug addict for 26 years, but that last summer's arrest and subsequent period on remand was a turning point and he is now drug-free.

Mongan's barrister Jonathan Connolly, said that following a family tragedy in 2008, his client began a "steady decline" into drugs which escalated into heroin use.

Carlisle was placed on probation for three years and told to abide by every condition attached to it.

Saying he felt this would be a benefit to society, Judge Fowler added: "If you breach probation, you will be back before me and I can tell you, without a shadow of a doubt, you will receive a custodial sentence."

Turning to Mongan, Judge Fowler imposed a two-year probation order and told him this was a chance "for you to change your life."

Graham was made the subject of an 18-month probation order and was told to "avail of the facilities available to assist you in dealing with your addictions."