Cork woman caught with cocaine and cannabis worth €16,000 gets suspended sentence

Accused was under the influence of someone more pernicious who would prey on people who would be less savvy, court heard

Gardaí found €13,000 worth of cocaine and €2,900 worth of cannabis in a handbag at the home of the accused, court told.

Stashes of cocaine and cannabis with a street value of about €16,000 were found in the bedroom of a house in Cork and now a woman has been given a suspended jail term for her involvement in the drug dealing.

The 31-year-old woman accused of cocaine and cannabis for sale or supply signed pleas of guilty to those charges. The signed pleas of guilty by Katie Hanlon, of Comeragh Park, The Glen, Cork, was entered at Cork District Court.

Ms Hanlon admitted that at another address at Comeragh Park, she had cocaine for sale or supply on May 12, 2021. And she admitted a similar charge of having cannabis for sale or supply on the same date and place.

Garda Shane Halligan testified gardaí carried out a search under warrant at the home of the accused on May 12, 2021.

“The warrant was shown and at the commencement of the search, Ms Hanlon brought gardaí to the bedroom and pointed to a handbag containing €13,000 worth of cocaine and €2,900 worth of cannabis.

“She was arrested and taken to Gurranabraher Garda Station where she made certain admissions. She said she was holding the larger quantity of drugs for a third party. Evidence on her phone corroborates her story,” Garda Halligan said.

Emmet Boyle, defence barrister, said the defendant was present with friends but “she took the rap for it” and did not try to suggest the drugs could have belonged to one of them.

“She was under the influence of someone more pernicious who would prey on people who would be less savvy,” Mr Boyle said.

He also said her phone was not protected by passwords and so forth, that might have been an obstacle to the prosecution.

Judge Boyle imposed a sentence of three years on the accused but suspended it.