Jury fails to agree in exboxer's case

A former professional boxer, Mr Thomas Mullen from Dublin, accused of
conspiring to smuggle heroin into Ireland, is to face a retrial in London
after a jury failed to agree yesterday.

Mr Mullen will return to Snaresbrook Crown Court in east London at the end
of the month for a pleas and direction hearing before going to trial again.
He has been remanded in custody until then.

Mr Mullen (26), of Etchingham Court, Etchingham Park Road, Finchley,
London, denies one count of conspiracy to export heroin from Britain to
Ireland. Codefendant Mr Tuhan Mustafa (48) has admitted the same charge.

Mr Mullen claimed during the trial he had been summoned to an IRA council
meeting and blackmailed into supplying terrorists with £1 million.

The court was told Mr Mullen financed a luxury lifestyle in north London
and took out a mortgage on an upmarket flat with nearly £6,000 in £5 notes.
The jury heard earlier in the week that defendant Ms Katherine Brooks (33),
was arrested by police as she took a taxi to London City Airport and was
discovered to be carrying 1kg of heroin.

When officers returned to her address they discovered another 4kg of the
drug ready for shipment.

Mr Mullen, originally from Clonliffe Road, Dublin, was arrested when
detectives caught him leaving a safe deposit box centre in Hampstead with
more than £100,000 sterling in a holdall. In all, they discovered nearly
£200,000 sterling in Mr Mullen's possession or in the safe deposit box.

Summing up yesterday, Judge Timothy King told the jury they should not find
Mr Mullen guilty by association just because Mr Mullen's codefendant Mr
Mustafa has pleaded guilty to exporting heroin and because Ms Brooks, who
turned Queen's Evidence, had admitted possession of heroin with intent to
supply.

Mr Graham Blower, prosecuting, told Judge King that there would be no
question of dropping the charge.