A SUSPECT who was being searched by Limerick Gardaí put a plastic bag containing a “white substance” in her mouth and swallowed it, a judge was told.
Tanya Tucker (39), of McGarry House, Alphonsus Street, refused to surrender the package after putting it in her mouth and instead swallowed it, Judge Patrica Harney, sitting in Limerick District Court, was told.
Ms Tucker was before the court on charges of obstruction for failing to hand over the bag, as well as possession of heroine and cocaine and theft charges.
The theft charges involved stealing goods worth €55 from O’Sullivan’s Pharmacy and Dealz on October 17, 2024, and a handbag worth €150 from Brown Thomas.
Judge Harney heard that the only items recovered were those taken from Dealz.
It was heard that Ms Tucker also had seven bench warrants out for her arrest issued against her for failing to turn up in court.
Her solicitor, Sarah Ryan, said Ms Tucker swallowed the plastic bag as “an act of desperation”, and suggested a probation report on her client.
On hearing that Ms Tucker has five previous convictions for public order offences, misuse of drugs, and handling stolen property, Judge Harney said she was dealing with the offences by way of jail.
Judge Harney noted that Ms Tucker previously had “seven bench warrants, she didn’t co-operate with the probation services, and she swallowed the substance when Gardaí asked her to hand it over”.
When the accused woman last appeared before the court on the charges, Judge Harney said “we bent over backwards to facilitate her. I put it back to allow her deal with her problems.”
Judge Harney sentenced Ms Tucker to four weeks in jail for obstruction and two weeks for possession of heroine, with possession of cocaine taken into consideration.
She also sentenced Ms Tucker to four consecutive weeks in jail for the thefts.
Bail was set at €100, with conditions that she stay out of the three stores she had stolen the goods from.
Funded by the Court Reporting Scheme.
