BY DAVID FORSYTHE
A MACROOM woman who pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine for sale or supply has avoided being sent to jail. Paulina Gala, (25), of Masseytown Terrace, Macroom, appeared before Judge Treasa Kelly at Macroom District Court recently.
Court presenter Sgt Trish O’Sullivan said that gardaí obtained a warrant to search Ms Gala’s home at Masseytown Terrace on June 21st of last year. Giving evidence Det Gda Colin O’Mahony said that when gardaí entered the property Ms Gala had gone to the bathroom where three plastic bags containing white powder were retrieved from the toilet. Another two empty bags with traces of white powder and suspected cannabis was also recovered.
A weighing scales and €360 in cash were recovered from a bedroom. The value of the cocaine recovered was estimated at €260 and there was also €50 worth of cannabis. Ms Gala admitted she was selling the drugs from the property.
Defence solicitor Jack Purcell said that his client had spent five days in Limerick prison and didn’t want to go back. He said her time there ‘appeared to be the wake-up call she needed’. He said that Ms Gala had several drug-related convictions, but now seemed to be ‘going in the right direction.’
He added that she was now engaging with drug counselling services and was in employment training and also engaging with the probation service. He added that Ms Gala was on medication for anxiety and asked the court to consider deferring sentencing to allow her to continue on ‘the right road’. The court heard Ms Gala has seven previous convictions, including convictions for possession of drugs for sale or supply.
Judge Kelly told the defendant: ‘You must get the help you require to get clean, you are an adult and it’s up to you. You need to get the medical or therapeutic assistance that’s required.’
For possession of cocaine for sale or supply, Judge Kelly convicted Ms Gala and sentenced her to four months in prison, but suspended it for 18 months in her own bond of €200 – on condition she continues her rehabilitation efforts. Charges for possession and obstruction were ‘taken into consideration’.
