Two for court on drugs charges

A man and woman will today appear in court in relation to drug offences arising from the death of the model Katy French five years ago.

Kieron Ducie (42), Lamberstown Manor, Kilmessan, Co Meath, and Ann Corcoran (32), Tolka Road, Clonliffe Road, Dublin, pleaded guilty in November that at an unknown location between 6pm on December 1st, 2007, and 10am on December 2nd, 2007, they procured another man, Russell Memery, to possess cocaine for the purpose of sale or supply to another.

A second charge alleged that on the same dates at Lamberstown Manor, Kilmessan, they intentionally or recklessly engaged in conduct to wit the supply of cocaine to Katy French and failure to get medical assistance in a timely fashion, which created a substantial risk of death or serious harm to another. The second charge against both defendants, alleging the endangerment of Ms French, was not proceeded with by the prosecution.

Judge Leonie Reynolds remanded Ducie and Corcoran on bail to today, when a date for evidence and sentencing will be set.

Three people have pleaded guilty to drugs offences arising from the circumstances surrounding the death of French.

Two years ago, then 25-year-old Memery, who had been living at Yellow Clay Manor, Navan, became the first person charged.

He was given a 2½-year suspended sentence at Trim Circuit Court after pleading guilty to having conspired to possess cocaine for the purpose of sale or supply to another between 11pm on December 1st, 2007, and 3am on December 2nd, 2007.

French died in Our Lady’s Hospital, Navan, in December of that year, a number of days after she had collapsed following a house party in Co Meath.

A postmortem found the 24-year-old model had died as the result of brain damage and found traces of cocaine in her system.