East Belfast UVF: UVF suspect Colin. Joseph Garrett
East Belfast UVF
Friday, 26 August 2022
An east Belfast loyalist has confessed to having two kilos of cocaine for distribution.
Colin Joseph Garrett “accepts the headline charge” of having the class A drug with intent to supply, but a court was told he still wanted to apply for bail due to the time spent on remand.
“He has served the equivalent of an almost two-year sentence,” a defence lawyer said, “so the foundation of the application is that he is, or is almost, time served”.
He confirmed that Garrett, who appeared in court by video-link from prison alongside his co-accused David Ghent, was admitting both having the cocaine with intent and simple possession.
But Newtownards Magistrates Court on Wednesday was told “there maybe one issue” with a further charge of simple possession of class B cannabis.
Ordering a pre-sentence report to be completed and for that to be sent to the Crown Court judge who will ultimately deal with the case, District Judge Mark Hamill said the class B count “will hardly hold matters up.”
Ballybeen loyalist Garrett, from Craigleith Drive in Dundonald, faces three charges including possessing cocaine, having the class A drug with intent to supply and simple possession of class B cannabis.
The offences are alleged to have been committed on November 24 last year.
Suspected East Belfast UVF member Colin Joseph Garrett
His co-accused, taxi driver David John Ghent (42), from Hollyfields in Dungannon, faces five charges including possessing cocaine, having the class A drug with intent to supply, supplying cocaine, importing cocaine and possessing criminal property on the same date.
Previous courts have been told police believe Garrett is a wholesale drugs distributor for the UVF in east Belfast, while Ghent is alleged to have links to organised crime gangs in Dublin and had brought the cocaine over the border.
The charges against them arise following a police operation both at Garrett’s home and in Moira when Ghent was stopped and searched.
Previous courts have heard that when Ghent pulled up outside Garrett’s house, the east Belfast man went out and collected a package from the taxi which then drove off.
Garrett went back inside but was swiftly followed by a police search team. The 29-year-old ran upstairs and hurled the package from an upstairs bedroom window but unbeknownst to him, cops has been lying in wait at the rear and they were able to retrieve the package which contained 2.24 kilos of cocaine.
Meanwhile as Ghent approached Moira, his taxi was pulled over and searched with a further one kilo package of cocaine retrieved.
Cops have said that with a value up to £180,000, the seizures represent “an enormous hit” on a cross-border drug smuggling operation involving both organised crime gangs in the south as well as east Belfast paramilitaries.
The judge adjourned the case for a week, but refused to grant bail to Garrett, commenting that “this is a noxious mixture of paramilitaries, organised crime and drugs.”
With many thanks to the: Sunday World and Paul Higgins Sunday Life for the original story.
Follow these links to find out more on this story: WE HAVE THE BREAKAWAY UDA - South East Antrim UDA - BUT - DO WE NOW HAVE THE BREAKAWAY UVF? B-Company - Ballyclare, Rathcoole, Belfast and Newtownabbey do the UVF in these areas belong with the mainstream UVF?
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