A Limerick mother who has been jailed for two years with the final 12 months suspended after pleading guilty to selling cannabis, told Gardai the Covid-19 pandemic had been “bad for business”.
Rose Porter, 57, with an address at St Patrick’s Villas, Castleconnell, Co Limerick, pleaded guilty to one count of possession of cannabis for sale or supply, as well as one count of money-laundering.
When gardai searched her home and asked her “was she a drug dealer”, she replied, “no, I’m a weed dealer”, Limerick Circuit Court heard.
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Ms Porter’s barrister said she had lost her son in a drowning incident a number of years ago and told gardai she was dealing cannabis to keep others “off tablets” following the tragedy.
“It was an unusual motivation,” the barrister said.
“She started smoking cannabis as a way of coping with the loss of her son, it was a significant tragedy.”
“The problem with that is cannabis clouds a person’s judgement, and she accepts it is a serious matter, she is greatly embarrassed, this has jolted her,” added the barrister.
Gardai raided Ms Porter’s house on April 27, 2020 and found €7,810 worth of cannabis and €4,285 cash.
The mother of eight, who the court heard had recently found work as a cleaner, immediately admitted ownership of the drugs and cash.
The defendant told gardai she was earning around €400 a week selling cannabis, she had been selling the drug for four years, and was receiving it from unidentified parties, every three to four weeks.
At the time she was “in receipt of social welfare payments and a once-a-year carer’s allowance”.
Ms Porter claimed that a wad of €2,000 notes found in her wallet during the search of her home, was a “mixture of dole money and money for loans”, however gardai told the court they believed the cash was “the proceeds of selling drugs”.
Gardai found cannabis in vacuum packed bags in a tumble drier in the kitchen of the defendant’s home and she told them that COVID-19 had been “bad for business”.
Prior to gardai arriving at Porter’s house she had acquired €1,000 worth of cannabis.
Porter told gardai she was selling one gram of cannabis for €15 and an ounce for €200.
Her barrister asked the court not to jail her, saying she had no previous convictions for drugs, and she had not come to the attention of Gardai since her arrest in April 2020.
Judge Tom O’Donnell said he was “alarmed” at Ms Porter’s reasoning for selling cannabis, that she was “only doing it so the young lads wouldn't do tablets” and there was drugs lying around the family home.
“She seems very au fait at the market value and (sale) amounts for drugs, it was an extraordinary admission to make that Covid-19 was bad for business,” the judge said.
“It is clear she was a drug dealer, and a drug dealer of some significance for some years, it was astonishing to say the least to openly admit it.”
“I accept she took full responsibility and admitted knowledge of the drugs market, however this lady had a very substantial amount of cash, which she readily admitted she got from her ill- gotten-gains, some of which she was reinvesting in drugs.”
Asking the court not to jail Porter, her barrister reiterated she was a “carer” for her “unwell” partner, and that she had been “naive” in getting involved in the illegal drugs trade.
Jailing Porter for two years with the final 12 months suspended, the judge said: “She is a carer who was involved in these sale and supply of drugs, I don't accept she was naive, am I to accept she was naive in selling drugs for four years, that’s not naive.”
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