AN APPLICATION was before Limerick District Court on bahalf of a professional poker player to have €36,000 seized by gardai returned to him. Paul Carr was making an application through his solicitor Darach McCarthy, to Limerick District Court, to have the gardai return money seized during a house search in Caherdavin. The court heard from Det Garda David Boland, that in May 2011, the home of the girlfriend of Jason Ahern, a life long friend of the applicant, was searched under warrant obtained under the misuse of drugs.
No drugs were found; however, a quantity of cash was seized, with gardai stating it was their belief that the money was obtained through criminal activity. Garda Boland told the court that the State sought a three month extension to the detention of the monies as “certain papers were to come before the circuit court under instruction of Mr Bradley, at the office of the DPP.
He said that the “wheels were in motion and within the coming weeks, certain papers would be lodged to the Circuit Court”.
It was claimed that the the application would amount to the State permanently seizing the money.
Taking to the stand, Paul Carr, from Moyross, but with an address Vartry Avenue, told the court that he won €300,000 in a Paddy Power poker event in April 2010.
Evidence was offered that the money was banked, and Mr Carr said that the for security reasons, he gave €36,000 to his friend Jason Ahern, who stored the money in his girlfriend’s house in Caherdavin.
Carr said that this was something he regularly did as people knew he had money and cash and for precaution, he would not keep it at home for fear of burglary or thefts.
It was also offered to the court that the poker champion was a “player of some promise” according to card playing magazine article that covered Mr Carr and his exploits in poker to date.
Jason Ahern gave evidence on behalf of his friend Paul Carr, and outlined that he kept the money and was “doing nothing else with it”.
Darach McCarthy, solicitor for Paul Carr, said that he objected to the State’s application to detain the money for a further three months, and said that the circumstances surrounding the application was “very vague” on what they intended to do.
The money was seized after a drugs warrant search, but no drugs were found.
Judge Ni Chonduin said that she would extend the period of detention of the money but would not agree to the three month application.
She noted that if “certain papers were to be presented to the Circuit Court in the coming weeks, a two month extension would be enough”.
The matter was adjourned until May.
