Courts / Dublin / Report
"Mortified" grandmother who agreed to hold illegal cigarettes avoids jail
Summary
Maggie Nugent, 61, a Dublin grandmother, pleaded guilty to holding €23,000 worth of untaxed cigarettes at her home on Marewood Crescent, Poppintree, Ballymun, on 26 November 2014. She was approached by a man who asked her to keep 46,600 cigarettes of the brands MG and Goal. When Gardaí arrived with a search warrant, Nugent confessed and cooperated fully. The offence caused a loss of €18,000 to the Exchequer. Nugent, who is being treated for cervical cancer and has other significant health difficulties, was described by the court as "mortified" and "guilt‑laden" and was deemed very unlikely to re‑offend. Judge Terence O'Sullivan, noting her good character, lack of prior convictions, and the family duress involved, imposed a two‑month suspended sentence, fully suspended for three months, and ordered the destruction of the cigarettes. The court also noted a probation report showing a very low risk of re‑offending.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: "Mortified" grandmother who agreed to hold illegal cigarettes avoids jail. Procedural stage: sentence
When:
- November 26, 2014 Incident
- 2017-11-16 Publication
Places mentioned
- Dublin
- Dublin Circuit Criminal Court
- Marewood Crescent
- Poppintree
- Ballymun
- Dublin
- St Luke's Hospital
Topics
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