Gardai intercepted mother delivering €35,000 worth of cocaine to Galway town

Eleanor Nevin, aged 34, with an address at High Street, Birr, Co. Offaly, has pleaded guilty to drugs charges arising from a significant seizure in Limerick city almost two years ago.

During a sentencing hearing at Limerick Circuit Court, Detective Garda Conor Ryan, of Henry Street garda station, said that at approximately 9am on September 15, 2024, authorities observed a man on an e-bike interacting with a car parked close to King John’s Castle.

This man was referred to as ‘Mr X’ by prosecuting Barrister John O’Sullivan, as he is currently before the courts.

Judge Colin Daly was told gardaí witnessed the man remove items from inside his pocket and pass them through a window of the car, before leaving.

Detective Ryan said gardaí went on to monitor this vehicle, before stopping it on the Lower Shelbourne Road. Eleanor Nevin was found to be the sole occupant.

During a search of the car, two packages of white powder, which had been concealed in a pair of knotted latex gloves, were located in the front seat. A forensic analysis of the substance revealed that it was, in total, 500.3 grams of cocaine. The estimated street value was €35,021.

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Ms Nevin was arrested on the morning of September 15, 2024 and conveyed to a local garda station for questioning. She told authorities that she was separated and had to give up full-time work as her young son is autistic.

The mother-of-one further disclosed that she was suffering from a cocaine addiction at the time and had a significant drugs debt. She told gardaí she was trying to wean herself off the substance as she had met a new partner.

Limerick Circuit Court heard that Ms Nevin had no connections to Limerick and that she travelled to the city to collect drugs, in order to alleviate her debt.

The collection was organised via the social media app Snapchat and she was given a phone number to call upon reaching her destination. Ms Nevin said that after making contact, a masked man on a bike pulled up and threw two packages through the car window and into her open handbag, which was on the front passenger seat.

She was later informed that she would be delivering these drugs to a location in Gort, Co Galway.

Eleanor Nevin admitted to gardaí that she knew the packages contained cocaine but did not know how much. She told gardai she believed the drugs would be worth around €200.

It is the prosecution’s case that the now 34-year-old acted “on impulse.”

The defendant told gardaí she had never done this before and that she did not receive any money for her role in the transaction. She was co-operative with gardaí, has no previous convictions and did not disclose any details in relation to others who were also involved.

Brian McInerney SC put it to Judge Colin Daly that his client entered an early guilty plea and that she is unlikely to come to garda attention again as she is a full-time carer for her son who has “very severe” intellectual difficulties. A number of letters were presented to the court supporting his submission.

Mr McInerney said there is no “champagne lifestyle” involved in the case, that his client struggles with her mental health and is on a “regime of medication” for such.

It was also heard that Ms Nevin suffers from fibromyalgia and has written a letter of apology for her role in the crime.

It was Mr McInerney’s case that his client’s involvement was “at the absolute lowest level” and that she had been self-medicating during a difficult period in her life.

Upon hearing facts of the case, Judge Colin Daly indicated he will take all matters into consideration before passing sentence later this month.