60-year-old Portuguese 'drugs mule' jailed for three years and four months

Gordon Deegan

A judge has jailed a 60-year-old Portuguese ‘drugs-mule’ for three years and four months.

At Ennis Circuit Court, Judge Francis Comerford imposed a 40-month prison sentence on Maria Lucilia Martins of Lisbon, Portugal after she was found to have cannabis with an estimated street value of €479,245 at Shannon airport on April 7th.

Judge Comerford said that with “the amount of damage drugs do, there has to be a significant period of jail”.

In evidence, Detective Sgt Dara O’Sullivan said that a member of the Customs department at Shannon Airport found Ms Martins to be in possession of suitcases both vacuum packed with cannabis herb and cannabis resin at the airport.

Det Sgt O’Sullivan said that there were 30 packs of cannabis resin and 22 packs of cannabis herb.

Counsel for the State, Sarah Jane Comerford BL (instructed by State Solicitor for Clare, Aisling Casey) said that Ms Martins had just arrived into Shannon off a flight from Faro, Portugal.

Ms Comerford said that in response to caution and charge, Ms Martins said: “I already told you. I don't know about it. I know there is evidence and exhibits. They were in my suitcases. I only saw them when the suitcases were opened.”

Counsel for the accused, Michael Collins SC (instructed by solicitor, John Casey) said that there was “a rambling incoherence” to Ms Martin’s replies at Garda interview after her arrest.

At Garda interview, Ms Martins said: “If you want to call me a mule or a horse or whatever else, I will say whatever else you want to hear.”

In the interview, Ms Martins also said: “Yes, yes I'm a mule, what do people want?”

Det Sgt O’Sullivan said that Ms Martins told gardaí that her ultimate destination after Shannon Airport was Cork.

He said that over three interviews, Ms Martins denied knowledge as to how the drugs got into her suitcases.

Det Sgt O’Sullivan said that Ms Martins has no previous convictions and lives in rented accommodation with her sister in Portugal.

He said that her husband lives in India, but she has not seen him in person in five years but sees him everyday online.

Ms Martins was before Ennis Circuit Court on foot of a signed plea of guilty to possession with intent to sell or supply cannabis with a street value of €13,000 or more contrary to Section 15(a) of the Drugs Misuse Act or more at Shannon Airport on Sunday, April 7th of this year.

Ms Martins also pleaded guilty concerning the importation of cannabis at the same location on the same date.

The signed pleas removed the need for the State to prepare a Book of Evidence in the case.

In sentencing Ms Martins - who is 61 next month - Judge Comerford said that the large quantity of drugs was an aggravating factor in the case.

He said that no one is suggesting anything other than a profit motive in the case for Ms Martins transporting the drugs.

Judge Comerford said that the headline sentence in the case was 80 months, and he reduced the prison term to 40 months after taking into account Ms Martins’s early guilty plea, her previous good character and her age.

Judge Comerford backdated the 40-month prison term to April 8th when Ms Martins was remanded to the women's wing of Limerick prison.