18/11/2022

50-Year-Old Sentenced Over Ballyclare Drug Seizure

Officers from the Paramilitary Crime Task Force (PCTF) have welcomed the sentence handed down to Geoffrey Dennis Heaney at Belfast Crown Court today, Friday 18th November.

The 50-year-old was handed a two year prison sentence suspended for two years for possession of a controlled drug of Class B with intent to supply and a two year concurrent prison sentence suspended for two years for possessing criminal property.

A number of searches were carried out in Ballyclare in February 2021, as part of an investigation into suspected criminality linked to the South East Antrim UDA.

Detective Sergeant Pyper said: "Geoffrey Heaney was arrested in February of last year. This followed the search of a property in which we discovered a quantity of herbal cannabis and a quantity of cash.

"Paramilitary organisations control communities through a regime of fear and violence, and have no place whatsoever in today's society.

"This case demonstrates our ongoing commitment, and that of our partners, to disrupting organised criminal activity so that local people can get on with peaceful lives.

"I'm keen to thank the community for their continued support and would encourage anyone with information, or concerns, to contact us on 101."

Related Northern Ireland News Stories
Click here for the latest headlines.

25 November 2024
Man Jailed In Connection With Annahilt Cannabis Farm
The PSNI has welcomed the sentencing of a man at Craigavon Crown Court in connection with a cannabis farm disovered in Annahilt in February, 2023. Clive Weir, from the Annahilt area, was sentenced to 18 months in prison and 18 months on licence.
18 November 2024
69-Year-Old Extradited From Spain To Face Child Abuse Charges
A 69-year-old man has been extradited from Spain to stand trial Northern Ireland for child-related sexual offences that occurred in the mid-1980s and early 1990s.
06 July 2012
Lifers Treated Well In NI Prisons - Report
Life sentence prisoners are being well managed in Northern Ireland, both in prison and while under supervision in the community, and their management has improved "significantly".
24 May 2021
Man Charged After £350k Of Cocaine Seized In Belfast
A man has been charged with possession of a class A drug after cocaine worth a street value of £350,000 was seized in east Belfast on Saturday, 22 May. The 56-year-old is charged with possession of a class A drug with intent to supply, possessing criminal property and concealing criminal property.
24 May 2012
Policeman Killer's 14-Year Sentence Will Be Reviewed
The 14-year sentence given to a man who murdered a PSNI officer will be reviewed by the Court of Appeal. The move came after the chairman of the justice committee, Paul Givan, argued that the sentence given to John Paul Wootton did not reflect the gravity of the crime and would not deter others.