Cork woman who transported drugs to clear debt avoids jail

A Blarney woman, aged 36, drove to Dublin to buy €8,000 worth of heroin for the Cork drugs market and was given a four-year suspended sentence.

Judge Helen Boyle said of this drug: “It was a disaster in Dublin city, it is a disaster in Cork city, it destroys people’s lives, it destroys families, and destroys young people.”

However, the judge noted the Probation Service assessment of Amy Forrest of Causeway House, Station Rd, Blarney, Co Cork, as being a low risk of reoffending and noted also that she undertook the trip to clear a drugs debt accrued by another person, to prevent them from coming to harm.

Forrest admitted possession of diamorphine for the purpose of selling or otherwise supplying to others at Redforge Rd, Blackpool, Cork, on August 24, 2023. She also pleaded guilty to having a mixing agent consisting of a paracetamol and caffeine mixture.

Because her car was used in the commission of a crime, Judge Boyle banned her from driving for two years.

Information

Detective Garda Ruairí McGovern said Detective Garda Fergal Long obtained information that Forrest was travelling to Dublin to purchase heroin to bring back to Cork. A Garda drugs operation was put in place to intercept her Kia car on return.

She removed two packages of diamorphine (heroin) from her top and this was found to have a street value of €8,000. Elsewhere in the car, three packages of mixing agent — paracetamol and caffeine — were found.

She refused to give gardaí her phone PIN number but defence barrister John Devlin said this refusal arose out of her fear of other parties.

“She denies directly selling it but admits transporting it when she was under a certain amount of duress because of the debt of [another person],” said Det Garda McGovern.

Mr Devlin said she had no similar previous convictions and that the mother of three was in full-time employment.

“She worked as a hairdresser and then did a medical secretarial course and obtained her present employment through that course and her employer speaks well of her as diligent and hardworking,” said Mr Devlin.

Debt

He said she was trying to clear a drugs debt for another person and when she did not have the money to do so, she was asked to go to Dublin and bring these drugs back and to gather €2,500 to pay also.

The probation officer described her as a vulnerable woman with a low risk of reoffending.

Judge Boyle said: “In terms of culpability it was suggested (another person) had a drug debt and you were carrying this out to protect (this person) from harm. In assessing the gravity you were knowingly transporting heroin from Dublin to Cork.”