A cocaine addict who injected the drug intravenously has been told by Judge Patrick McCartan that it would not be in her best interest to sentence her for a knife-point robbery at this time and remanded her in custody.
Anne Marie Pezzillo's threat to slit a young woman's throat in a €40 robbery caused the victim to quit her professional Dublin city job and to become almost a recluse in her rural home. Pezzillo (24) pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to the robbery at Burlington Road on July 28th, 2006. Formerly of Middle Abbey Street in the city centre, knives featured among her 17 previous convictions.
Judge McCartan noted she had made progress and remained drug-free since her last appearance in November but noted that places for her on new drug treatment and counselling courses, as well as supervised accommodation, "are only going to be available in March".
"The last time she was here she had her arrangements made for two o'clock that day but it would be irresponsible of the court to release her without having a proper scheme of supervision in place right away."
When Pezzillo protested from the body of the court that she had provided clean urine samples as he had requested in November, he agreed that "we are making progress" but rejected her further demand to be sentenced immediately because, she said, "then at least then I know where I stand." Judge McCartan replied: "That would not be the best thing for you. Sentence now would not be in your best interests." He added that despite her repeated protests to him that she had been told by a social worker that she could go to the new treatment unit in March 2008, he was remanding her in custody.
Judge McCartan had told her in November that he wasn't "ill-disposed to assisting you" but would have to be convinced she was drug-free.