A Dundalk mother who attempted to smuggle almost 11,000 cigarettes from the Canary Islands for her now separated husband has been fined £4,600. Linda Bromley (30), a mother of two, of Lennon's Tower Green, Red Barns Road, pleaded guilty to attempting to evade excise duties on 10,800 cigarettes at Dublin Airport on April 27th, 1996.
Judge Kieran O'Connor at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court was told Bromley had no previous convictions.
Defence solicitor Mr Jim Wallace said her husband was constantly in and out of the local court for refusing to pay maintenance to her and their two children, aged 10 and six years. They had "an acrimonious separation" and she was living in rented accommodation on £115 a week social welfare.
Mr Wallace said his client got the cigarettes at her husband's insistence for him and his extended family. She now realised it was foolhardy, but the amount involved was minor on the scale of these offences.
Prosecuting counsel Mr Gerry O'Brien said the mandatory penalty was a fine equal to three times the value of the cigarettes or, in default, a minimum of six or maximum of nine months' imprisonment. The judge could also recommend that the Revenue Commissioners mitigate the fine.
Mr O'Brien said the cigarettes were found after Bromley was stopped in the green channel by a Customs officer. She said she believed she could import an unlimited amount of duty-free cigarettes.
Judge O'Connor said he would recommend only a 50 per cent mitigation of the fine to the Revenue Commissioners. He made the recommendation because she was separated and had two children.
He also had to impose at least a six months' sentence in default because the legislation made that mandatory.
Judge O'Connor added: "I'm sorry your marriage has broken up but you did find the money to buy these cigarettes. Your children are going to suffer but this kind of offence must be stopped."