By Sonya McLean
A woman who was caught transporting cannabis when gardaí stopped her because she was on her phone while driving has been given a two-year suspended sentence.
Chloe Dunne (29) of McKelvey Avenue, Finglas, Dublin 11, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to having the drugs for sale or supply on Shancastle Avenue, Clondalkin on July 26. 2023. She has no previous convictions.
Garda Brian O’Carroll told Jane Murphy BL, prosecuting, that Dunne was spotted on her phone while driving in the Clondalkin area around 10pm that evening.
She was stopped and her two young children were in the back of the car.
She appeared very nervous and officers could get a strong smell of cannabis from the vehicle before they saw a large carrier bag on the front passenger seat.
Gda O’Carroll confirmed that there was 973 grammes of cannabis in that bag, with an estimated street value of €19,750.
Dunne was arrested and admitted in interview that someone had placed the drugs in her car and her role was to drop the bag at a particular address.
She said she had no idea how much the drugs were worth.
She told gardaí she was struggling for money at the time and was expecting to get €300 or €400 for her role.
Gda O’Carroll agreed with Keith Spencer BL, defending, that Dunne was not on the garda radar at the time and has not come to garda attention since.
He accepted that she was “very wet behind the ears” and “inexperienced”.
She made immediate admissions. Judge Martin Nolan said Dunne’s own actions had brought her to the attention of gardaí.
He accepted that she “succumbed to temptation” because she needed money at the time and acknowledged that she would be unlikely to come to garda attention again.
Judge Nolan said Dunne had made “a bad misjudgement” before he imposed a two-year sentence which he suspended in full on strict conditions.