A Kerry man charged over the country's largest-ever crystal meth seizure has been denied bail despite his father's offer to sell the family home and put up €200,000.
41-year-old James Leen of Kilmorna, Listowel, faces one charge of possession of almost 550kg of crystal meth for sale or supply at Ballyseedy Garden Centre between October and February.
Mr Leen is also charged with importing the drug into Ireland last October.
The estimated street value of the haul is €32.8m.
The 41-year-old father of three, and co-accused businessman Nathan McDonnell, were denied District Court bail in February, and Mr McDonnell was also refused High Court bail subsequently.
Mr Leen brought his fresh application before Ms Justice Mary Ellen Ring in the High Court today.
The hearing was told that Mr Leen was setting up a travel app, and the judge also described it as a "conundrum" that a man on legal aid could travel so much when given a list of countries he had visited in recent years.
Defence counsel Ronan Prendergast told the court he was instructed that his client had been setting up a travel app about to "go live."
He said Mr Leen, who appeared remotely via video link, would obey conditions.
He argued that while his client did not own a property, he had greater ties to the country through his family's presence there.
Mr Prendergast also said his client's father, who watched from the public gallery, had instructed the defence that he would put his home on the market to raise €200,000 bail for his son.
Refusing the application, Ms Justice Ring said he enjoyed the presumption of innocence, but she held that the evidence supported the contention and probability that he would not attend his trial if released.
