A 45-year-old mother of two who ran a lucrative drug dealing "business" from her Corporation home in Galway city was sentenced to five years in prison at Galway Circuit Criminal Court yesterday.
Deirdre Ó Laoghaire, St Finbarr's Terrace, Bohermore, Galway, also admitted supplying customers for the last five years by meeting them at the Saturday market in the city.
The accused, who was apparently living on lone parent's and children's allowances, had substantial sums of money at her home and in financial institutions when arrested in April 2002. A search of her home uncovered €10,500 in cash as well as a weighing scales and tinfoil to prepare and wrap cannabis resin. Cannabis worth €14,242 was also found.
Ó Laoghaire had €2,500 cash in her handbag when arrested, while a further €32,000 was discovered in a credit union account, and another €8,000 in a Bank of Ireland account. Ó Laoghaire had been paying for her daughter to attend private school in Dublin and her daughter is now attending university.
Det Garda Gerry O'Callaghan told Judge Harvey Kenny that Ó Laoghaire had been selling cannabis for a time in the 1980s and had been dealing in it consistently for the last five years.
Ó Laoghaire admitted making €400 profit per month from her drug dealing. Her daughter knew of her arrest, but her 10-year-old son did not.
She told the court she had moved from Dublin about 25 years ago and was the sole provider for her children. She had used the money for their education and regretted making such a mess of things.
Judge Kenny said she was a serious drug dealer and sentenced her to five years in prison.
He also ordered the destruction of the drugs and the confiscation of all the money except for €25,000 which, he was informed, had been given to the accused as "a gift".