Limerick cannabis dealer claims Covid was bad for business

Limerick District Court.

A LIMERICK mother-of-eight, who has been sentenced to two years in prison for selling cannabis, told Gardaรญ that the Covid pandemic had been โ€œbad for businessโ€.

Rose Porter, (57), of St Patrickโ€™s Villas, Castleconnell pleaded guilty possession of cannabis for sale or supply and an additional charge of money-laundering.

When Gardai searched her home and asked her โ€œwas she a drug dealerโ€, she replied, โ€œno, Iโ€™m a weed dealerโ€, Limerick Circuit Court heard.

Ms Porterโ€™s barrister said she had lost her son in a drowning incident a number of years ago and told Gardaรญ she was dealing cannabis to keep others โ€œoff tabletsโ€ following the tragedy.

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โ€œIt was an unusual motivation,โ€ the barrister said.

โ€œShe started smoking cannabis as a way of coping with the loss of her son, it was a significant tragedy.โ€

โ€œThe problem with that is cannabis clouds a personโ€™s judgement, and she accepts it is a serious matter, she is greatly embarrassed. This has jolted her,โ€ added the barrister.

Gardaรญ raided Ms Porterโ€™s house on April 27, 2020 and found โ‚ฌ7,810 worth of cannabis and โ‚ฌ4,285 cash.

The mother-of-eight, who has recently found work as a cleaner, immediately admitted ownership of the drugs and cash.

She told Gardaรญ she was earning around โ‚ฌ400 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 carerโ€™s allowance.

Ms Porter claimed that a wad of โ‚ฌ2,000 notes found in her wallet during the search of her home, was a โ€œmixture of dole money and money for loansโ€.

However Gardaรญ told the court they believed the cash was โ€œthe proceeds of selling drugsโ€.

Gardaรญ found cannabis in vacuum packed bags in a tumble drier in the kitchen of the defendantโ€™s home and she told them that Covid-19 had been โ€œbad for businessโ€.

Prior to Gardaรญ arriving at Porterโ€™s house she had acquired โ‚ฌ1,000 worth of cannabis.

She told Gardaรญ she was selling one gram of cannabis for โ‚ฌ15 and an ounce for โ‚ฌ200.

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 Gardaรญ since her arrest in April 2020.

Judge Tom Oโ€™Donnell said he was alarmed at Ms Porterโ€™s reasoning for selling cannabis, that she was โ€œonly doing it so the young lads wouldn’t do tabletsโ€ and there were drugs lying around the family home.

โ€œShe seems very au fait at the market value and sale price for drugs. It was an extraordinary admission to make that Covid-19 was bad for business,โ€ the judge said.

โ€œIt’s 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.

โ€œI 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.โ€

Asking the court not to impose a prison sentence, Ms Porter’s 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 her for two years with the final 12 months suspended, Judge O’Donnell said: โ€œShe is a carer who was involved in the 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? ย Thatโ€™s not naive.โ€