Pushers 'control' Temple Bar club

A DUBLIN nightclub owned by 57 Temple Bar investors is being effectively
controlled by North city drug pushers, say gardai.

The Mission nightclub, Eustace Street owned by the Peig Sayers Hotel
Partnership Ltd has been the scene of serious disorderly behaviour,
widespread drugtaking and repeated afterhours drinking, gardai inspector
Tom Murphy told Dublin District Court.

His claims came when gardai successfully objected to applications by the
company for 30 latenight bar extensions for the coming month for the
nightclub.

The claims of drugtaking were denied, however, by one of the
licenceholders, John Harty, who admitted, however, to breaches of the
liquor laws.

Inspector Murphy told the court he found evidence during visits to the
premises of cannabis and ecstasy being consumed. It had effectively been
taken over by two wellknown innercity drug families, the Hutches and the
Mitchells.

Despite repeated promises by management to deal with the problems, gardai
continued to find people consuming drugs and afterhours drinking.

One of the most serious incidents occurred just a few days ago when a fight
broke out between two gangs vyying for control of the drugs trade.

It resulted in a major street battle in which garda reinforcements had to
be called. A detective garda was also attacked and narrowly escaped serious
injury.

Inside, gardai found the walls splattered with blood as a result of an
earlier fight when a man had a broken bottle stabbed into his arm.

Inspector Murphy said that during a number of previous visits, including
one as late as 3.15am, he found large numbers of people drinking and
dancing to 'rave' music.

There was evidence of a lot of bottled water being consumed and a lot of
scantilyclad young people apparently under the influence of drugs.

When the lights were turned on, there was the remains of cannabis joints
and white powder ground into the floor.

The smell of cannabis was so strong that on one occasion Inspector Murphy
got a stinging sensation to his eyes and as an officer responsible for
destroying cannabis hauls, he said he was familiar with this stinging when
one got too close to incinerated cannabis.

Out of six visits to the premises in the last few months, management were
uncooperative and, on one occasion, switched off the lights when gardai
tried to search a group of people under the Misuse of Drugs Act. The people
got away via a fire escape as a result.

Inspector Murphy held meetings with the manager, Frank Conway, whose wife
Sheila is one of the two liquor licence holders, and he was assured the
problems would be dealt with but they continued.

Inspector Murphy told Mr Conway he was concerned that there would be a
fatality as a result of drugs consumption and fighting. He was also
concerned about disorder in the area.

''I told him the premises was being controlled by drugpushers from the
North inner city but he told me I was off my head.''

Management also refused to take Garda advice to close down the premises for
a few months in order to get rid of the clientele it was attracting.

The court also heard gardai are objecting to the renewal of the hotel's
annual liquor licence despite a plan to make one of their managers, Anthony
Griffin, a licence holder.

John Harty, the second licence holder, told the court he had found no
evidence of drugs being sold or consumed on the premises.

Steps had been taken to address the gardai's concerns, including the
appointment of a new security firm and the sacking of one of the bar
managers.

He denied the nightclub was leased out and said he was prepared to be
present every night over the next month to ensure it was run properly.

He also said that sales of water accounted for only 1pc of the club's
takings.

Judge Con O'Leary rejected a defence plea to give the company two weeks
more to see how it is run because of the impact a refusal of bar extensions
would have on investors and employees.

The judge said the company had already been given an ample opportunity to
get its house in order.

He refused to grant four of the bar extension applications and granted a
refund of stamp duty for the 26 others.