A 28-year-old woman who is due to have her first baby next week faced sentencing yesterday for having a €43,000 stash of cannabis at her home in Cork city over a year ago.

The young woman confessed to a charge that can carry a ten-year minimum jail term unless the sentencing judge finds there are exceptional circumstances.

Jovana Bogdan of Washington Street West, Cork, entered the signed plea of guilty to the charge that on December 9 2021 at her home she had cannabis worth more than €13,000 for the purpose of sale or supply to others.

The cannabis seized in the case weighed 2.5 kilos.

Detective Garda Eoin O’Toole said it had been established that the accused had been residing at the apartment on Washington Street and that there was cannabis present at that address for the purpose of sale or supply.

“She was interviewed on three occasions and said she was holding the drugs for sale or supply and was receiving cannabis as payment for holding it for a third party,” Det. Garda O’Toole said.

Jane Hyland senior counsel for the defence said, “At the time she herself was using drugs. 

"She is now working. And she has worked to come off drugs.” 

Ms Hyland suggested that the accused was under threat from a bigger player in the drug trade to hold on to the drugs. Det. Garda O’Toole said the defendant did say that but the gardaí did not accept that was necessarily true.

Ms Hyland said the 28-year-old came to Ireland from Serbia at the age of seven and that from the age of 16 she was essentially fending for herself.

Judge Helen Boyle acknowledged at Cork Circuit Criminal Court that the accused was about to have a baby and said she would adjourn sentencing until February 2024.

However, she warned, “This lady is going to have to face the consequences, I’m afraid… 

"There are going to be consequences, but I will put it back.”