Kilkenny Court: Suspended sentence for possession of heroin

A woman who pleaded guilty to possession of heroin was handed down a two-month suspended sentence at a recent sitting of Kilkenny District Court.

Lynn Dooley, 15A Love Lane, Castlecomer, Kilkenny was convicted of the offence which took place at 15A Love Lane, Castlecomer, Kilkenny on August 3, 2018.

The court heard on August 3, 2018 gardaí executed a search warrant at the property in Castlecomer and that there were a number of people present.

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The defendant had in her possession three bags of suspected heroin which she accepted were for her own use.

The court heard that the defendant has 20 previous convictions including convictions under the Road Traffic Act, for possession of drugs for personal use and for theft. Solicitor Chris Hogan told the court that his client had told gardaí that she had purchased the drugs for €50 in Athy and added that his client was ‘vulnerable enough at the time’.

Mr Hogan said that his client has since moved to Carlow and is off heroin and is engaging with the relevant services and is on a methadone programme.
Judge Geraldine Carthy remarked that the matter before the court was ‘quite serious’.

“The matter before the court is quite serious. It is possession of a Class A drug,” she said.
The judge convicted the defendant under section 3 of The Misuse of Drugs Act and imposed a two-month prison sentence which she suspended on condition that the defendant enter a bond and engage with the Probation Services as directed.