King’s Lynn man Robert O’Keefe claims heroin found in home belonged to brother, who died from an overdose

A man who was twice caught with heroin in his home says it belonged to his brother, who recently died from an overdose.

Robert O’Keefe, 36, of Albion Street in Lynn, appeared at the town’s magistrates’ court on Thursday and pleaded guilty to possession of a Class A drug.

Police first attended his house for a separate matter on December 27 last year.

During a search, 4.21g of heroin was found on the surface of toilet water.

Less than a month later, on January 23 this year, officers arrived again for another incident and discovered a further 1.64g of the drug in O’Keefe’s kitchen drawer.

Police were under the impression that the defendant may have been dealing. However, no evidence was found to suggest that was true.

In mitigation, solicitor George Sorrell claimed O’Keefe “doesn’t take drugs” and “certainly doesn’t deal them”.

He said that the defendant’s late brother, who has since died from an overdose, was staying with him at the time, and on one evening, O’Keefe left his home and returned to find it was “not how he left it”.

The defendant then kicked his brother out, and now believes he was the one who called the police, knowing there was heroin in the property, in order to get O’Keefe in trouble.

Magistrates handed him a £120 fine, and he will also have to pay a victim surcharge of £42 and £85 in court costs.

The heroin will be forfeited and destroyed.

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