Gardai raided mum's house for drugs as family were staging intervention
Gardai raided the house of a drug-dealing mother while her family and friends were staging an intervention, a court has heard.
The woman, who was caught dealing cannabis from her home, avoided jail after the court was told she has since "faced up to her addiction and her responsibility to her son".
Debbie O'Reilly (35) formerly of Maple Avenue, Ballybrack, later became homeless when the council became aware of the offence. She and her 15-year-old son have since found permanent accommodation.
O'Reilly pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of cannabis herb for sale or supply at her then home on August 4, 2013. She has no previous convictions.
Garda Ivor Scully agreed with Ronan Kennedy BL, defending, that when gardai arrived to search O'Reilly's home her family and friends were in the middle of "an intervention" with her as they had been concerned about her recent behaviour.
O'Reilly co-operated fully with gardai and took responsibility for the drugs, worth over €22,000, which were found in a shopping bag in her shed, behind a kicker board in the kitchen and her bedroom.
A total of €8,200 in cash, a digital weighing scales and an iPhone with evidence of drug dealing on it were also seized in the house.
Judge Mary Ellen Ring said O'Reilly was clearly a capable and intelligent young woman but for some reason started to abuse drugs before moving onto dealing, before suspending all of a five-year jail term.