Woman Guilty Of Supplying Drugs

A paraplegic used a specially adapted Mercedes and a young addict to
distribute heroin in a Dublin area frequented by prostitutes, Dublin
District Court was told yesterday.

Valerie Horgan (33), of Grange Manor Avenue, Rathfarnham, was convicted of
having 11 "deals" of heroin worth #110 for supply at Mespil Road on November
10th last.

Garda Tony Ryan told the court he was acting on confidential information
when he followed a grey Mercedes at about 2 a.m. being driven by Horgan with
a young woman in the passenger seat.

He described "suspicious activity" as the car was driven from a fast food
restaurant to Wilton Terrace and Herbert Street before the gardai stopped it
at Mespil Road.

The defendant told her passenger: "Swallow it, swallow it," and the younger
woman was found to have 10 "deals" of heroin in her mouth while another
"deal" was found in the defendant's handbag.

Horgan, who was confined to a wheelchair following a car accident, denied
dealing in drugs or using the younger woman as a courier.

She said she had not used heroin in nine years but could not account for the
heroin in her bag.

Judge Gerard Haughton convicted the defendant of supply involving both
amounts. He imposed a #250 fine as she had no previous convictions and the
amount involved was small.

Checked-by: "Rolf Ernst"