Community service for woman 'forced at gunpoint' to hold drugs

A woman who said she was placed under duress and threatened with violence if she did not agree to stash over €67,000 worth of drugs for sale or supply has walked away from court with a “light work” community service order.

In July 2024, Amy O’Connor (41), with an address in Auburn Heights, Athlone, entered a guilty plea to a charge of unlawful possession of cannabis, and possession of drugs with value of more than €13,000 contrary to Section 15A of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1977.

The mother of three appeared before Judge Keenan Johnson at Mullingar Circuit Court last April when she told the court that she was forced to store the drugs after a criminal, whom she knew through her ex-partner, had “stuck a gun to my head”.

Ms O’Connor avoided a custodial sentence after Judge Johnson deemed her version of events to be credible. She was sentenced to seven years in prison, with the sentence suspended in full for a period of ten years, due to her parental responsibilities, and her own various health concerns.

On a charge of possession, Ms O’Connor has been assessed by the probation service for suitability for 240 hours of community service in lieu of two years in prison.

When she appeared in court last week for the finalisation of that sentence, Judge Kenneth Connolly noted the probation report stated that, due to medical reasons, Ms O’Connor was suitable for “light work only”.

Garda Stephanie Treacy previously gave evidence of carrying out surveillance on Ms O’Connor’s home. She said that, during that time, she observed a number of people coming to the door.

None of them stayed long but she did not observe any items or money changing hands. A warrant was obtained, the house was searched and Gardaí discovered a number of vacuum-packed bags of cannabis to the value of €67,660.

When interviewed, she said that she was forced to hold the drugs for a man she came into contact with at the funeral of her former partner’s brother. She said she was forced to drive to a location, where a bag of drugs was placed in her car.

She also said the man who threatened her, had left a knife on her doorstep and she was fearful of what he would do.

Judge Johnson noted that Garda Treacy had accepted that it wasn’t unusual for the man in question to use other people’s houses to store drugs and said that he “can’t be sure Ms O’Connor’s version of events isn’t true”.

“She’s entitled to the benefit of the doubt and is entitled to be sentenced on the basis that she was under duress,” he said.

Ms O’Connor is a “vulnerable lady” who had a “traumatic childhood”, and a “traumatic, violent relationship”, he said, adding that she is clearly a woman of “nervous disposition” who suffers from PTSD.

“There was no evidence produced that she was involved in the distributing of drugs, and no evidence of any trappings of wealth,” he said.

He noted an early plea of guilt, significant cooperation with Gardaí, as well as a number of health concerns, such as ADHD, PTSD and anxiety.

A forensic psychological report furnished to the court indicated that she would benefit from therapy to deal with her PTSD.

Ms O’Connor is very close to her three children, Judge Johnson said, and “the interest of justice would not be served by incarceration”, as the children would be without their sole parent.

Funded by the Courts Reporting Scheme