Louth creche worker admits having drugs and participating in organised crime
The Drogheda IndependentA childcare worker who has pleaded guilty to involvement in organised crime told Gardaí after her arrest, “You do what you have to do to survive.”
Michaela Fitzpatrick (33) was nabbed when officers intercepted a package and set up a controlled delivery to her Drogheda address of what turned out to be 2kgs of cannabis valued almost €40,000.
The defendant, who has no previous convictions, pleaded guilty to, on January 24, 2024, participating in/facilitating organised crime contrary to Section 72 of the Criminal Justice Act 2006 as amended, and to possession of drugs with a value in excess of €13,000 for sale or supply.
Further charges, including money laundering on dates between October 2023, and January 2024, are being taken into consideration.
A sentence hearing at Dundalk Circuit Court was told that Ms Fitzpatrick was “funnelling money” to a family member.
She is suffering from a number of ailments and the mother of one asked to go into jail before finalisation of the case.
Judge Dara Hayes remanded her in custody to November 13 for a medical report.
Det Gda John Walsh testified that Gardaí became aware of a suspicious package. An operation was put in place for a controlled delivery to Michaela Fitzpatrick’s address in Rathmullan Park, Drogheda, on January 24, 2024.
She took the box from an undercover Garda detective. It contained 1,998.8g of cannabis valued €39,976.
Investigators saw a voice note she sent, reading, “That’s here. What will I do with it now?”
The defendant wouldn’t provide the password to her mobile phone.
Det Gda Walsh continued that as part of an ongoing investigation three bank accounts belonging to the accused were identified.
Between dates in October 2023 and the following January, €42,850 was placed into the accounts and €36,200 taken out, “predominantly in Thailand”.
The money was forwarded to a Revolut account that Gardaí are satisfied was controlled by an Organised Crime Group.
Ms Fitzpatrick was arrested about the drugs on the day of the delivery and on the following April 12 in relation to assisting an OCG.
In a series of interviews she made no admission. Her excuse that she didn’t know what was in the box was not accepted by Gardaí. Neither was her claim that she was not involved in organised crime.
She told them, “You do what you have to do to survive"; and that she had a brain injury which affected her memory.
Cross-examined by senior counsel Garnet Orange, with barrister Ronan O’Carroll, instructed by solicitor Fergal Boyle, Det Gda Walsh said that the offending was connected to family members well known to the courts at this stage.
The ultimate destination of the money, south-east Asia, was the location of somebody sought by Gardaí.
The witness said he had seen Ms Fitzpatrick’s medical records. He understood that she had suffered a brain injury.
She had a seven-year-old daughter. Another child died in infancy.
Mr Orange said that his client was “undoubtedly involved in serious criminal behaviour”. Money was being funnelled to a family member.
Documents were handed into court outlining “a wide range of serious health conditions”.
The defendant wrote a letter in which she said that she worked in creches all of her life, and that there was no excuse for her actions. She undertook not to break the law again.
Counsel added it was not being suggested that the accused was highly vulnerable. She had an option to walk away.
She had not been completely co-operative. There was a degree of co-operation. She was not positively obstructive.
Neither was it being suggested that a gun was put to her head. There was some “family loyalty” and perhaps “soft duress”.
Ms Fitzpatrick was accepting of her fate. She had not come to adverse Garda attention since.
Judge Hayes said that the assistance of the Probation Service would not be of any particular value.
He remanded the defendant in custody to November 13. If a medical report was available he would finalise the matter.