Kerrie Fitzpatrick’s heroin smuggling appeal dismissed

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

Kerrie Fitzpatrick lost an appeal against her 16-month sentence for attempting to smuggle heroin into Mountjoy Prison in Dublin. The proceedings were reported on 21 November 2019.

Fitzpatrick pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to conveying a controlled drug into the prison. The offence occurred on 14 January 2017. The court heard that she brought 63g of heroin, valued at €9,575, for her former partner, who was in the prison.

The trial judge was told that Fitzpatrick had a previous conviction for a similar offence at Portlaoise Prison. Court of Appeal President Mr Justice George Birmingham said she had previously been given the benefit of the Probation Act.

Mr Justice Birmingham said there was evidence that Fitzpatrick had been coerced and that her relationship with her former partner was violent and abusive. He said the offence was serious and that the heroin appeared to be for general supply inside the prison rather than for one person.

Dismissing the appeal, the judge said a custodial sentence was necessary and that the trial judge could have imposed a harsher sentence.