A woman visiting jail with a syringe full of cannabis oil in an envelope for one of the prisoners has been successful in her appeal against a five-month jail term for the crime.

Judge Seán Ó Donnabháin agreed to suspend the five months at Cork Circuit Appeals Court.

40-year-old Jennifer Heaphy of Kerryhall Road, Cork, pleaded guilty to bringing the illegal drug – Tetrahydocannabinoil – into Cork prison.

Sergeant Pat Lyons said a prison officer observed the drugs offence taking place and discovered the cannabis oil in a syringe in the envelope.

Mitigation 

Diane Hallahan solicitor said in mitigation that the judge should take into consideration the plea of guilty, the fact that the offence dated back almost two and a half years to October 10 2018 and the fact that she was motivated by concern for a relative who was seriously ill in prison and she had hoped that the cannabis oil would give him some pain relief.

Ms Hallahan said the defendant had been in contact with gardaí in relation to her plea of guilty in this case and never sought to evade her responsibilities.

The defence solicitor said it was an error of judgement by the accused in trying to bring the cannabis product into the prison.

Finally, Ms Hallahan said the defendant had not come to adverse attention since the date of this offence and was presently a fulltime carer.