A PREGNANT woman was recruited by jailed drug baron Tony Felloni, to carry heroin in condoms in her vagina, Dublin Circuit Criminal Court has heard.
Josephine Heary (22), Tomas MacDonncha Tower, Ballymun, was remanded in custody for sentence next Monday after admitting importing £20,000 worth of heroin on May 22nd, 1996.
Det Garda Angela Willis said gardai, acting on confidential information, were waiting at Dublin Airport for Heary and Luigi Felloni to arrive with a cache of heroin. She had been recruited by Tony Felloni to act as courier.
The court was told Luigi Felloni, who is awaiting sentence on the same matter, is a son of Tony Felloni who was recently given a 20 year prison sentence for drug offences.
Det Garda Willis told prosecuting counsel, Mr Paul Coffey, she searched Heary who had two condoms with 61.466 grams of heroin in her body. The heroin was 63 per cent pure. Heary was five months pregnant at the time. She had no previous convictions and was co-operative.
Det Garda Willis agreed with defence counsel, Mr Michael O'Higgins, that Tony Felloni had a record going back 30 years for manipulating young girls and was the prime mover in this importation.
She was aware Felloni's wife had claimed in a radio interview he had introduced their daughters to heroin.
Mr O'Higgins suggested to Judge Cyril Kelly his client's case differed from other courier cases. The principle movers in this one were in custody unlike other cases where the courier was the cushion for the drug dealer. Heary's case was exceptional.
Counsel said the probation report showed Heary didn't have a criminal mind and presented her as a naive, vulnerable single mother whose father was a violent alcoholic. She was "an innocent abroad" and society had little to gain by jailing her.