A MOTHER who was told to smuggle 50 tablets into Limerick Prison or have her son “slashed in the face” if she didn’t, has narrowly avoided joining him in jail. Sandra Brady (57) was a weekly visitor to Limerick Prison from Dublin to see her son, Nigel, who is serving a three and half-year prison sentence.
However, prior to a visit late last year, she was approached by a person and given a package containing 50 tablets. She was told to give it to her son in prison and another person would collect it from him. If she didn’t, she was told that her son’s face would be slashed by another prisoner.
She brought the package with her to the control access room of Limerick Prison and when a coin in her pocket activated the metal detector, she was searched and the package was found.
Defending solicitor Sarah Ryan said that Ms Brady was in a terrible situation and felt she had no option but to comply. Since being caught with the tablets, she had not visited her son.
Judge O’Kelly said that it is well documented in the upper courts, that vulnerable people must be punished and Ms Brady was one of these people. However, in some cases, it was inappropriate to punish the vulnerable and this was one of those cases.
Applying the Probation Act, Judge O’Kelly urged to her to resume her visits to the prison to see her son and if she was approached again by any such persons she should identify them to the authorities.
