Wicklow woman caught throwing heroin out bedroom window avoids jail
Leona Hanlin (45), of Old Court Avenue, Bray, appeared at a sitting of Wicklow Circuit Criminal Court for sentencing after pleading guilty to two counts of possession of drugs for sale or supply, contrary to Section 15 of the Misuse of Drugs Act, along with two counts of simple possession.Detective Garda Ryan O’Neill of Bray Garda Station told the court that on March 21, 2025, gardaí executed a search warrant at the accused’s home, where they discovered Ms Hanlin in her bedroom attempting to throw packages of drugs out of a window into a neighbouring garden.News in 90 Seconds - May 4th 2026The court heard gardaí recovered 10 small bags of heroin weighing 10.2 grams, along with a further ounce of heroin, with an estimated street value of €4,168.During the search, gardaí also found €650 in cash and two bottles of Valium tablets, which belonged to Ms Hanlin’s sister.Ms Hanlin was interviewed and gave a “no comment” interview. Counsel for the prosecution, James Kelly, said nothing of a probative nature arose from that interview.Mr Kelly told the court that Ms Hanlin has four previous convictions, including two for the sale and supply of heroin following a test purchasing operation.During cross-examination, Det Gda O’Neill described Ms Hanlin as a “well-known drug addict” known to the Bray drugs unit.Defence counsel, Justin McQuade, said his client is “doing far better” and has “cleaned up with the help of various agencies”, including BCAT. He added that her key worker was present in court.In mitigation, letters from Ms Hanlin and her mother were handed into court, with the court hearing that she has undergone drug treatment and is currently engaged in aftercare.“The acid test is the recovery plan after she engaged with Cuan Mhuire,” said Mr McQuade.The court heard that “society is best served by committing her to rehabilitation”, with defence counsel noting that rehabilitation is a key principle of sentencing.In her judgment, Judge Sinéad Ní Chúlacháin noted that the drugs involved included heroin, or diamorphine, which places the offending at a serious level.She said the drugs had “destroyed her life and those around her”, but accepted that the accused had taken steps towards rehabilitation.The judge described Ms Hanlin as a high-risk offender, but said she had “a lot of work to do”.Judge Ní Chúlacháin imposed a three-year sentence, which she suspended in its entirety for a period of three years, on condition that Ms Hanlin remain under the supervision of the Probation Service and attend all appointments.Funded by the Court Reporting Scheme
