Dealer remanded on ecstasy charge

A County Tyrone man has been found guilty of possessing £500,000 worth of ecstasy tablets.

Stephen Gerard Quinn, 32, from Platers Hill, Coalisland, was found guilty of possessing the class A drugs with intent to supply by a unanimous verdict at Belfast Crown Court on Tuesday.

During his eight day trial, the jury heard that despite being followed by the drugs squad to a farm outside Coalisland in January 1999, Quinn managed to escape.

One surveillance officer who gave evidence from behind a screen said he had to swing his car out of the way of Quinn's car as he made his bid for freedom.

As police searched the farm's outbuildings, they found 50,000 ecstasy tablets, said to have a street value of £500,000.

Quinn was not arrested until September 2001 when he went to Cookstown Hospital suffering gunshot wounds.

During police interviews, Quinn admitted to being at the farm but claimed he thought the police were "people coming to harm him".

However, prosecution lawyer Charles McKay said the police believed he was a dealer in a "huge drugs operation".

Quinn was remanded into custody and will be sentenced once probation reports have been completed.