Man stopped and searched for alleged drugs offences had indecent images of child made to look like Madeleine McCann on phone

COURT RAP

Man stopped and searched for alleged drugs offences had indecent images of child made to look like Madeleine McCann on phone, court hears

Patrick Bernard Tracey, 25, was charged with possessing an indecent image of a child and with possessing an extremely pornographic image of a child on April 27

By George Jackson
20th August 2018, 1:56 pm

A MAN stopped and searched for alleged drugs offences had indecent images of a child made to look like missing Madeleine McCann on his mobile, a court heard today.
Patrick Bernard Tracey, 25, was charged with possessing an indecent image of a child and with possessing an extremely pornographic image of a child on April 27.

He is further charged that between September 1, 2016 and last Friday he was concerned in supplying cocaine and MDMA, in possessing the drugs with intent to supply them, with being concerned in offering to supply the drugs and with offering to supply cannabis and ketamine and with being concerned in offering to supply ketamine.
Objecting to bail the police officer told District Judge Paul Copeland that when the defendant was stopped on suspicion of committing drugs offences on Friday, his mobile phone was seized and forensically examined.
The house at Chapel Road in the Waterside area of Derry where he was arrested was searched.
Inside the house, the police found quantities of cocaine and a deal bag containing the other Class A drug MDMA.

The police witness told Derry Magistrate’s Court sitting in Omagh today that last October, an associate of Tracey’s had his mobile phone seized and triaged as part as an ongoing police drugs investigation and a series of messages exchanges linked that phone to the defendant’s.
When Tracey was arrested on Friday for the alleged drugs offences, his phone was also triaged.
On it, the police found drugs-related messages in relation to supplying drugs to friend.
But also on the phone the police found the indecent images.
When the District Judge asked the police witness if Tracey had any direct or indirect contact with the person whose indecent images were on the defendant’s mobile, the officer replied “no your worship, they are of Madeleine McCann.
“We believe the images were made to look like Madeleine McCann and it is not believed they were repeat offences”.
Opposing bail, the police officer said he based his opposition on his belief that Tracey, if granted bail, would re-offend and interfere with on ongoing police investigation.
He said in relation to the drugs offences, Tracey, of the Top Of The Hill area of the Waterside, Derry, had made some admissions and said he consumed half an ounce of cocaine any time he attended a party.
He said while there was no evidence Tracey was involved in the drugs trade at a high level, he had made admissions in relation to supplying friends.
The District Judge said while every defendant had the presumption of innocent, be believed that given his immersion in the drugs trade he was not a suitable candidate for bail.

https://www.thesun.ie/news/3006730/man-searched-alleged-drugs-indecent-images-child-look-like-madeleine-mccann/