DRUGS DEALER IS BOUND TO PEACE

A CONVICTED drugs dealer is to be bound to the peace following claims
that he threatened to burn out neighbours and assaulted his own wife
and two of his children with a cosh.

John Heaphy of 190 Rathpeacon Road, Farranree, Cork, was in Cork
District Court yesterday where he made no objection to the application
by gardaED to have him bound to the peace.

Heaphy did not dispute any of the evidence given by Garda Michael
Finnucane in the application before Judge Con O'Leary.

Garda Finnucane said he went to Rathpeacon Road to investigate a
disturbance on March 30.

93Mr Heaphy was out in his front garden threatening to burn out
neighbours. He was assaulting his wife and two of his children with a
cosh. His two sons took the cosh from him,94 Garda Finnucane said.

Heaphy was not prosecuted on any charge arising out this incident and
none of the injured parties made statements of complaint against him.

Solicitor, Frank Buttimer, said the defendant had no objection to the
application and Judge Con O'Leary bound Heaphy to the peace for two
years.

However, a technical difficulty arose at the end of the District Court
sitting when it emerged that Heaphy had left the court without signing
the bond. Inspector Michael Scanlon said he had no objection to the
matter being adjourned until Heaphy was back in court. Judge O'Leary
then said he would vacate the order binding Heaphy to the peace so
that the application could be mentioned again on Tuesday.

Heaphy was also before the court yesterday for another matter, having
a small amount of cannabis for his own use.

Garda Oliver O'Sullivan went to search 190 Rathpeacon Road on December
7 last year and Heaphy took a small nodge of cannabis resin from his
pocket and dropped it on the floor. He later admitted that it was his
and pleaded guilty to the having it for his own use, at Cork District
Court yesterday.

Judge O'Leary convicted and fined him pounds 100 for the
offence.

Garda Jerry Coakley said all of Heaphy's previous drugs convictions
arose out of one incident when he was sentenced to 16 months for three
counts of drug dealing in 1996.

The Heaphy home is currently the centre of controversy as residents
have been protesting nearby and Mrs Helen Heaphy is challenging in the
High Court an order granted to Cork Corporation to re possess the house.