Stock car racer for trial over £1.5m drug haul found at ferry port
A STOCK car driver is to stand trial accused of smuggling nearly £1.5m worth of cocaine and heroin from Holland to Northern Ireland.
Neil Davison faces a total of 23 charges related to a major drugs seizure at Belfast’s docks in September 2016. The 29-yearold was arrested after exiting the Cairnryan ferry in a BMW X5 transporting his race car back from Rotterdam, a previous court heard.
Cocaine with an estimated street value of £960,000, heroin worth £500,000 and cannabis resin valued at £2,000 was discovered under the floor of the steel trailer. Davison, of Cloncarrish Road in Portadown, Co Armagh, appeared again before magistrates in Belfast yesterday for a preliminary enquiry hearing.
He is charged with importing and possessing class A and class B drugs with intent to supply.
Further counts include having more than €330,000 (£290,000) in criminal property, and converting some amounts into sterling.
The alleged offences were committed on dates between February and September 2016.
Davison spoke only to confirm he understood the charges against him.
His lawyer did not contest a Crown lawyer’s submissions that he has a case to answer. Davison declined to give evidence or call witnesses at this stage in proceedings.
Granting a prosecution application, District Judge Nigel Broderick returned the defendant for Crown Court trial on a date to be fixed. The judge agreed to release Davison on continuing bail until that hearing gets under way.