Co Armagh drugs suspect '˜not mastermind of racket'

Floyd Hobson is to be released from custody after his lawyers insisted he is not the criminal mastermind running a narcotics racket in Co Armagh.

The 29-year-old, from The Glebe in Portadown, faces charges of possessing, supplying and being concerned in the supply of class A drugs.

He allegedly dealt heroin to undercover police eight times between November 2015 and January 2016.

Audio and video recordings allegedly depict him supplying the officers with test purchases, the court heard previously.

It was claimed that he became involved in a bid to pay off a £5,000 debt linked to his own cocaine habit.

Two separate factions were said to be trading heroin in the Portadown area.

But Hobson denies any association with a suspected gang of five Portuguese arrested in the operation.

He was said to have been introduced to the police investigation team when they were pretending to be addicts.

Defence counsel Declan Quinn stressed that each alleged incident only involved supplying £25 wraps of heroin.

“He (Hobson) does seem to be a worker as opposed to someone who is a mastermind with access to significant funds,” Mr Quinn added.

Granting bail, Mrs Justice Keegan ordered the accused to live at an address in Portadown under curfew and with electronic monitoring.

Imposing a ban on using a mobile phone, tablet or computer, the judge also ordered him to seek assistance from his GP for any addiction issues.