THREE PEOPLE received suspended prison sentences at Wicklow Circuit Court in Bray yesterday over the possession of drugs for sale or supply in Arklow two years ago.
A young woman, Aoife Carroll, died after taking some of the drugs on the weekend in question.
Siobhán O’Reilly (28), with an address at Brook View Gardens, South Quay, Arklow, pleaded guilty to the unlawful possession of cannabis resin, allowing Ms Carroll to use cannabis resin and allowing Mark Byrne and Ms Carroll to use heroin at her then address at Murrell Drive, Inbhear Mór Park, Arklow on March 6th, 2009.
She also pleaded guilty to possession of heroin for sale or supply at the Navvy Bridge on March 6th.
Carmel Rowe (30), with an address at The Green, Meadowvale, Arklow and Darren Byrne (31) previously of The Green, Meadowvale, Arklow, both pleaded guilty to the possession of heroin for sale or supply at the Navvy Bridge, Arklow on March 6th, 2009.
Garda Garry Brandon told Judge Michael O’Shea that as a result of an investigation into drug dealing, he spoke with O’Reilly who said she had smoked between four and five joints of cannabis resin with Carroll on March 6th.
Later O’Reilly and another person went to buy three bags of heroin with a street value of €50 from Byrne at the Navvy Bridge in Arklow. On arrival they met with Byrne’s then partner, Carmel Rowe, who gave them the three bags of heroin and accepted €50 from O’Reilly.
O’Reilly told Garda Brandon one of the bags was for her own use, one was for Ms Carroll and the third was for the other person with her.
The bags were brought back to her then home in Murrell Drive and all three smoked the heroin. Garda Brandon said no drugs were recovered by gardaí and it was through the defendants’ own admissions that the case was before the court.
The court heard O’Reilly and Byrne had suffered from drug addiction but both are currently addressing this.
Judge O’Shea said while he was satisfied that all three were “small players, it cannot be overstated that any involvement in drugs, even at a minor level, plays an important role particularly for the people higher up. It’s the people at the lowest level, the people with addiction who directly help sustain the higher up players.”
He fined O’Reilly €150 for the unlawful possession of cannabis resin and handed down a two-year suspended prison sentence in respect of possession of heroin for sale or supply.
He also handed down two 18-month suspended sentences in respect of each of the charges of allowing her premises to be used for drug-taking by others. All sentences are to run concurrently.
He sentenced Byrne to three years’ imprisonment, which he suspended for four years and sentenced Rowe to two years’ imprisonment, which he suspended for three years.