Gardai have said that there will be a further charge placed on a Derry man caught with over €700 worth of drugs after turning away from a checkpoint in Donegal.
The case of Dean Beattie was before a sitting of Letterkenny District Court.
Beattie, a 33-year-old of Glenvale Road in Derry, appeared via video link from Castlerea Prison where he has been in custody for the last 12 weeks.
Beattie’s solicitor, Mr Patsy Gallagher, said that the court will have hard his comments from the previous week and asked if there are directions in respect of all charges listed.
Garda Sergeant Jim Collins said that there are DPP directions in respect of matters and added that Beattie would have to be produced for the purpose of being further charged.
Mr Gallagher said that run respect of a charge under section 15 of the Misuse of Drugs Act, this had gone back “at the instigation and failure of the State, not Sergeant Collins” and again queries what the directions were.
Sergeant Collins said that the direction was for summary disposal, but added: “We do have further charge.”
The court was told that the value of drugs found were €609 worth of cocaine and cannabis worth €100.
Judge Emile Daly said that there was a question of whether one matter would be the subject of another charge.
Last week, Mr Gallagher criticised what he called a “disgraceful” delay in Beattie’s case.
“I think it is absolutely disgraceful that the State comes into court and says this after all the media publicity that we have had, saying that we are galling the system, looking for adjournments and costing the State money,” Mr Gallagher had said.
“The Minister has said that defence solicitors are taking a hand at the State. Yet, here we have a matter that has been in since April 18 and the State only sent the file on June 29, even during the industrial action by the low-lying solicitors.
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“There has been a lot of adverse media coverage of defence solicitors for delays. This Is a classic case here. I asked for it to be made peremptory against the State the last time it was here and you (Judge Daly) said you would give the State a chance to get their ducks in a row.”
Judge Daly adjourned the matter until early August with Beattie to be produced before the court on the next date.
Beattie has been in custody since his arrest on April 18 and has been charged with a series of offences relating to an incident at Mannerstown Crossroads, Bunnamayne, Bridgend, Co Donegal.
The defendant was arrested after being pursued by Gardai when he turned away from a checkpoint in the Bridgend area.
A quantity of illegal drugs and cash were seized in the operation and Beattie was also charged with offences including dangerous driving and drug-driving.
Beattie was charged that he had unlawfully in his possession a controlled drug, namely cannabis, contrary to section 27 (1) of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1977, as substituted by section 6 of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1984.
Beattie was also charged with dangerous driving, contrary to section 53 (1) of the Road Traffic Act 1961, as substituted by section 4 of the Road Traffic (No.2) Act, 2011.
The defendant was also charged with driving while under the influence of an intoxicant, a charge contrary to section 4 (1) and (5) of the Road Traffic Act 2010. Beattie was also charged with driving without insurance and driving without a license.
Last month, a court heard that some reports connected to the case were still outstanding, including one from Forensic Science Ireland.
At that point, Beattie addressed the court and asked if his matter could be dealt with.
On that occasion, having been informed that the matter was a “priority case with FSI”, Judge Daly told the Gardai that she expected progress to be made.