Judge John Neilan has warned the mother of a small baby to see the big picture in terms of her relationship with a man facing drugs charges at the Circuit Court.
Emma Stenson, was living at Moyliscar Cottage, Belvedere when gardaí saw her partner take €12,000 cannabis from their car.
Having read a probation report, he said she had “nothing positive to say” about her current relationship and was concerned that she might have been caught up in the drugs offence as a result of the relationship.
He was worried that she might be used “as a pawn” and noted that she couldn’t confide in her family about certain difficulties.
“If you’re prepared to be used by your partner,” he said, “you’re going to find yourself and your child, whether you like it or not, in Mountjoy prison.”
“The choice is for yourself, it’s your life,” he said. “People will use you and disappear into the sunset.”
“You’ll look back and say ‘I had an opportunity to make choices and I didn’t. Now look at the mess I’m in – and my child too.’”
He placed Ms Stenson on a nine month probation bond in accordance with the probation report and told her she will face nine months in jail if she doesn’t adhere to the conditions of the bond.
Gardaí arrived to search the house under warrant on November 7 2008, Garda Bobby Feery told Mullingar District Court and entered the house at 4.25pm when there was no one home.
Five minutes later a car pulled up outside and Ms Stenson got out, carrying her baby daughter. Her partner removed a one kilo bag of cannabis from the boot, worth €12,000.
She later admitted to gardaí that they had “gone out the road” and collected the drug but was surprised at how much there was.
She had previously prepared cannabis into bags for her partner to sell, she admitted.
Garda Feery told the court in February that if the 21-year-old hadn’t been in the relationship, she probably wouldn’t have been involved in drug dealing.
Ms Patricia Cronin said her client had learned “a very harsh lesson”.
Her partner pleaded guilty to drug dealing at the recent sitting of Mullingar Circuit Court and is due for sentencing later this year.
