A 37-year-old woman passed a note to a pharmacist claiming she had a gun during a “hare-brained” attempted robbery of drugs at a pharmacy in Cork.

Sergeant Pat Lyons said the note stated that she had a gun, she wanted drugs and the gardaí should not be contacted.

However, the woman behind the counter handed the note to a male colleague. He in turn spoke to the woman carrying out the attempted robbery.

She left the premises without getting anything and staff observed her going into a house near the premises. Gardaí arrived and arrested her there shortly afterwards.

37-year-old Claire Coade with an address at an apartment at Minerva Terrace, College Road, Cork, pleaded guilty to carrying out the attempted robbery at the College Road Pharmacy in Glasheen, Cork.

The Director of Public Prosecutions decided that the case could be dealt with at district court level only on a plea of guilty and that otherwise it would proceed by indictment to Cork Circuit Criminal Court.

Judge Olann Kelleher said the court had to take a stand when someone tried to carry out a robbery with a gun. The judge jailed her for nine months.

Sgt Lyons said that at 11.30am on January 30 at the College Road Pharmacy, Claire Coade entered the premises and approached the counter.

She handed a note to the staff member where it was written that she had a gun in her bag and that she wanted drugs to be handed over to her and that the staff member was not to contact gardaí.

The member of staff handed the note to a male colleague who came to the counter and told the woman he was calling the gardaí and at that stage the woman left on foot.

She also said she was desperate to get her hands on drugs on this occasion. She also admitted two counts of shoplifting at Centra on Denroche’s Cross, Glasheen.

Frank Buttimer, solicitor, said the attempted robbery was by far the most serious : “This was a completely inept and ill-conceived notion by the defendant when she was at home. She had this craving for medication. She came up with this absolutely hare-brained idea, offensive as it was for the staff. It was literally unrealistic.

“She walked away and was caught within minutes. She had a very difficult time with medical problems. She intends to adhere to the medical regime she has now embarked on properly.

“She has remorse for the distress she caused to the injured party behind the counter,” Mr Buttimer said.