‘WEIGHING SCALES WERE FOR MAKING BUNS’

A man has told the court that digital weighing scales found during a search of his house were for making buns.

Nicholas Muckian (41), Sportsmanshall, Dundalk, gave that evidence during a police property application in which gardaí sought the forfeiture of €700 cash found on the premises during the raid over two years ago.

Det Gda David Leydon said that on 22 June, 2016, a number of planned searches took place in the Dundalk district as part of Operation Scale which targeted organised crime.

In Muckian’s home at Sportsmanshall gardaí discovered a block of cannabis resin, valued €132; €700 cash, the subject of this application; digital weighing scales with traces of white powder, a mirror with traces of white powder, plastic bags, a small trace of cocaine and a key for a Mercedes car, stolen during the course of a 2015 burglary in Lucan.

Detective Leydon said Nicholas Muckian, who was neither working or claiming social welfare at the time, was subsequently arrested. He said the €700 was for rent.

His solicitor Niall Breen handed into court a credit union statement which showed two withdrawals totalling more than €800 in April, 2015.

Detective Leydon told Mr Breen that arising out of the search, the DPP directed Muckian be charged with possession of cannabis.

Nicholas Muckian said he was working for 15 years as a welder with Moffett Engineering. At the time in question he was on the sick.

‘I am definitely not a drug dealer,’ he said, adding the weighing scales were for making buns.

Judge Coughlan forfeited the money to the State. ‘He’s telling me lies,’ he remarked.