This article is from page 4 of the 2014-10-28 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 4 JPG
A YOUNG woman with a serious drug addiction has told a court that prison is the “best thing” that could have happened to her.
The 20-year-old told Ennis District Court that since going into prison she has returned to education and undergone methadone treatment for heroin addiction.
The mother of one said she wanted to get out of prison in order to try and be reunited with her child, who is in care.
Referring to her time in custody, she said, “I think it’s the best thing that could’ve happened to me.”
The woman was before the court on Wednesday facing the activation of a suspended sentence handed down in March. She received a three-month sentence for the theft of a handbag from a house in Ennis. The sentence was suspended for 18 months.
She has also pleaded guilty to possession of a stolen chequebook arising from a separate set of circumstances.
The court heard the woman suffered from a serious heroin addiction.
Reading from a report from the Probation and Welfare Services, Judge Durcan said that despite undergoing two courses of detox, the woman at no stage committed to the therapeutic stage of the recovery process.
He said the report described the woman’s attitude as “intolerant” and said she continued to gravitate back towards the drug scene in Ennis. The report said the woman is at a “high risk of re-offending”.
Defence solicitor Tara Godfrey urged the court to order another probation report while her client is in custody.
Judge Patrick Durcan said he is considering a 15-16 month sentence.
“If she wants genuinely to rehabilitate this court will give her this opportunity but it will be on the basis of 100 per cent cooperation with the Probation Services,” he added.
Inspector Tom Kennedy said he was familiar with the accused and her interaction and attitude to the services available to her. He urged the court to f nalise sen tencing of the woman.
“It sounds like an awful thing to say but the best help that can be given to [her] is in the conf nes of the prison,” he added. Judge Durcan ordered a f nal probation report and adjourned sentencing to November 5.