Courts / Dublin / Report

Woman caught driving car containing €130k in pills avoids jail

Summary

Nicole Donohue, 32, of Harolds Cross, Dublin, was driving an uninsured car that contained more than €130,000 worth of pills when gardaí stopped the vehicle on Armagh Road in Crumlin on 5 December 2019. The car, not owned by Donohue, had no insurance disc and its NCT had expired. Gardaí found a black bag with over 65,500 Alprazolam tablets, valued at €131,108, after a smell of cannabis prompted a search. Donohue pleaded guilty to impeding the apprehension of an offender and driving without insurance. She claimed she was unaware of the drugs. The man in the car fled and was later arrested but not charged. Donohue received a suspended three‑year sentence, with a two‑year driving disqualification and other conditions, as the judge believed she was unlikely to reoffend. The case was heard in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Woman caught driving car containing €130k in pills avoids jail. Charges or matters: one count of impeding the apprehension of an offender and one count of driving without insurance at an address in Dublin on December 5, 2019. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

• December 5, 2019 Hearing Or Sentence
• 2024-01-16 Publication

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Drugs Road Traffic Stage Sentence

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Read the original CNI report