A mother and daughter accused of possessing €1.28m worth of cannabis at Shannon airport two days before Christmas Day have secured bail after spending almost three months on remand in custody.
At Ennis District Court today, counsel for the accused women, Dovil Reifonaite, (40), and Migle Kurieniute, (20), Reginald Garrett BL told Judge Gabbett that the two secured High Court bail on March 10th.
Mr Garrett said that “onerous conditions” have been attached to the bail and told Judge Gabbett that the two spent almost three months on remand in custody.
The two spent the Christmas and New Year period in custody after they failed to secure bail at a special court sitting in Limerick on Christmas Eve.
Each accused is charged with one count of possession of cannabis for sale or supply, as well as one count of possession of cannabis.
In their court appearances before today, the two accused always appeared via video link from the women’s wing at Limerick prison and today appeared in person in court having secured bail.
Sgt John Burke told the court today that the case concerned “a serious drugs matter”.
Sgt Burke said that with all the issues at Forensic Science Ireland (FSI) it is quite reasonable in the circumstances to seek a three week adjournment for DPP directions.
Mr Garrett said ‘These ladies spent three months in custody and are only after achieving bail and I would ask that the matter be moved on more speedily.”
Sgt Burke previously told the court that a small sample of the suspected drugs was brought to Forensic Science Ireland (FSI) and the tests confirmed that the substance is cannabis.
For court proceedings, mother, Dovil has no English and requires an interpreter while daughter, Migle has very good English.
At the Christmas Eve court sitting, Gardaí told the bail hearing that, at 11:16am on December 23rd last, the two accused disembarked from a flight at Shannon Airport from Boston.
Gardaí alleged that officers attached to Revenue discovered 64kgs vacuum-packed packages of cannabis with a street value of €1.28 million, in four suitcases belonging to the two accused. It was a “significant quantity” of drugs, gardaí added.
Solicitor for the two at the time, John Casey told the Christmas Eve court that Ms Reifonaite and Ms Kurieniute had lived in Mullingar for the past eight years and that they would abide by any bail conditions.
“Ms Kurieniute has been here since she was 12. They have set up home here, and if granted bail they will sign on daily or even twice daily at a garda station, this is where their life is,” said Mr Casey.
Judge Gabbett further remanded the two on continuing High Court bail to re-appear before Ennis District Court for April 16th for DPP direction
