A 22-year-old hairdresser, with no previous convictions, has been sent to prison for storing over €130,000 worth of cannabis for another person at her home in Raheen last year.
Judge Carroll Moran heard that Alison Kelleher, The Grange, Raheen, pleaded guilty to the possession of 11.024kg of cannabis in 37 small packets hidden in a wardrobe and under a bed of an upstairs room at her house.
Garda Paul Crowley said the defendant’s home was searched on foot of a search warrant on December 7, 2011. Ms Kelleher said she had the drugs in the house and cooperated with the search where the drugs with a street value of €134,000 were found along with a weighing scales, bowls and bags used to breakdown the drugs into smaller parcels.
The court heard that Ms Kelleher, a former user, was not involved in the supply or parceling of the drugs but was under a “certain degree of duress” to keep them for someone else.
After hearing that Ms Kelleher was co-operative, of material assistance to the State and was unlikely to reoffend, Judge Moran said it would “fly in the face of legislation” not to impose a prison sentence.
He added that while it would be “unjust to impose the mandatory minimum sentence of ten years”, he had no option but to imprison her.
“Although not the most insidious of drugs, storing and transferring a substantial amount of cannabis is an essential part of the illicit business and therefore I will impose a sentence of two years”.
