Woman (26) found by Mayo gardai with €12k worth of cannabis in her car receives suspended jail sentence

A woman was caught with cannabis worth more than €12,000 in her car, a court heard.

Samantha Lace, aged 26, formerly of Saleen, Castlebar, but now residing in Galway, pleaded guilty to possession of the drug for the purpose of sale or supply before Castlebar Circuit Criminal Court.

On April 17, 2023, gardaí received confidential information about drugs at Lace’s home.

More than 80 parcels containing cannabis were discovered in a parked car. The drugs were valued at €12,520.

The Latvian mother-of-two has no previous convictions.

The court heard she became involved in the drugs trade through extended family who were living in the area. She has since severed those ties.

Barrister Aine Boyle, representing Lace, said her client was smoking cannabis daily at the time but is now completely drug free.

Judge Eoin Garavan said he believed the woman has learned her lesson and imposed a two-year suspended jail sentence.

* Funded by the Courts Reporting Scheme.