A GRANDMOTHER fell into the grasp of a new drug addiction, having previously been in thrall to a different drug, a Limerick court heard.
Noeleen Hickey (42), with an address at the ‘nine-to-nine’ homeless hostel in Limerick City, appeared before before Judge Catherine Ryan having been previously convicted of an offence.
The court heard that she had been previously convicted of another offence for which she received a suspended sentence of 16 months.
With that suspended sentence in place, her further offending meant that the court could trigger the suspended sentence in addition to the sentence she is currently serving.
Her solicitor told Limerick District Court that his client has five children and two grandchildren.
“She became addicted to heroine after being addicted to crack (cocaine). She was in a situation where she was surrounded by drugs,” the solicitor told the court.
“But she is being positive and is seeking help and treatment. She plans to live well in her next years … Her sentence has been her way of life. She is looking at quite a lengthy sentence if the court imposes the suspended sentence.”
Judge Ryan said that given what was said in mitigation by Ms Hickey’s solicitor, “I have to consider whether it would be in the interests of justice to activate the (suspended) sentence”.
Judge Ryan activated six of the 16 months, leaving the remaining 10 suspended and in place.
Ms Hickey will serve the six months consecutive to the eight-month sentence she is currently serving.