Courts / Dublin / Report
Mother-of-seven gets suspended sentence for storing €192k in drugs
Summary
A 54-year-old woman from Dublin has received a fully suspended five-year sentence at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for storing over €192,000 worth of drugs at her home. Catherine Byrne pleaded guilty to possession of drugs for sale or supply on May 29, 2018. Her co-accused, Robert Yeates, aged 32, also pleaded guilty to possession of a shotgun at a location in Finglas North on the same date. The court heard that Byrne became involved in the offence to settle her daughter's drug debt after threats were made against her family. Judge Martin Nolan found her culpability low, noting she acted under duress to protect her daughter from serious individuals. Yeates received a three-and-a-half-year suspended sentence conditional on keeping the peace and maintaining good behaviour for that period. Byrne has 21 previous convictions for road traffic offences, while Yeates has two similar prior convictions.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Mother-of-seven gets suspended sentence for storing €192k in drugs. Charges or matters: possession of drugs for sale or supply at her address on May 29, 2018; possession of a shotgun at the car park of Charlestown Shopping Centre, St Margarets Road, Finglas North, on the same date. Procedural stage: sentence
When:
- May 29, 2018 Incident
- 2019-07-29 Publication
Case subjects
Accused
Charges: possession of drugs for sale or supply at her address on May 29, 2018; possession of a shotgun at the car park of Charlestown Shopping Centre, St Margarets Road, Finglas North, on the same date (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: Judge Nolan said he was going to take "the unusual step" of not imprisoning Byrne before he sentenced her to five years in prison which he suspended in full.
Co Accused
Charges: possession of a shotgun at the car park of Charlestown Shopping Centre, St Margarets Road, Finglas North, on the same date (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: He also sentenced Yeates to three and a half years imprisonment, but suspended the sentence in its entirety on condition the accused keep the peace and be of good behaviour for three and a half years.
Places mentioned
- Cloverhill Road
- Dublin
- St Donaghs Road
- Charlestown
- St Margarets Road
- Dublin
- Dublin Circuit Criminal Court
Topics
Drugs Road Traffic Stage Sentence
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