Clare mother facing prison sentence for money laundering offences

A JUDGE has sentenced a Clare mother to 18 months' imprisonment after telling her that she can’t use her children as a shield from the consequences of her money laundering.

At Ennis Circuit Court, mother of three, Heather McNamara of Childers Road, Cloughleigh, Ennis pleaded guilty to money laundering connected to her partner, Paul Collopy's drug-dealing activity.

Collopy - the father of Ms McNamara's two-year-old son - is currently serving a 10 year jail term for drug dealing and is due for release in 2028.

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In court this Wednesday, Judge Francis Comerford said the 40-year-old could not use her children “as a shield” after she told the court that if she was sent to jail it would result in ‘an awful trauma” for her two-year-old son.

Ms McNamara said that her young son "is very attached to me - I have a seriously close bond and I dread to think what would happen if I got a custodial sentence, we are a close knit and they depend on me”.

She added: "I worry about the mental health of the kids and myself.”

Ms McNamara said that the father of her two older children, aged 17 and 21 was "brutally murdered just over a week ago and I worry for the mental health of the two older kids as well”. 

The defendant said that she is the sole carer of her two-year-old and 17-year-old girl who is doing her Leaving Cert this year.

Mr Collopy has been in prison since April 2021 - three months before their boy was born.

Judge Comerford imposed a 50-month prison term on Ms McNamara, suspending 32 months meaning that Ms McNamara is to serve 18 months in prison.

Imposing sentence, he said that the court can’t say because Ms McNamara has children, that she is entitled to engage in crime "and she is immune from any sanctions from the courts”.

Ms McNamara has a previous conviction for money laundering in 2014 concerning a sum of €68,000 and Judge Comerford said that she has engaged in "significant repeated wrong doing”.

Judge Comerford said that Ms McNamara engaged in crime knowing the precarious position of her children and this was an aggravating factor in the case.

“Ms McNamara was doing direct harm to her children by engaging in this activity.”

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Counsel for Ms McNamara, Pat Barriscale BL said that the prison term will have "severe repercussions" for his client and Judge Comerford agreed that the warrant for Ms McNamara to be taken into custody would not take effect until January 12 next.

Ms McNamara, who doesn’t work and receives €312 per week in social welfare, had pleaded guilty to a money laundering offence concerning €37,965 which was the proceeds of crime.

The offences were committed in May 2021 at two locations in Ennis.

Ms McNamara also pleaded guilty to another money laundering charge relating to an offence at her home at Childers Road, Cloughleigh, Ennis. That charge related to cash of €5,445 and the lady’s Rolex watch valued at €17,500.

The mother-of-three also admitted possession of €4,872 of cocaine at the same property on the same date.

Detective Sergeant Denis Stack said that as long as he has known Ms McNamara "she has always had nice cars - she has a good lifestyle”.

At the time of the December 2019 offences, she was driving a BMW and in May 2021 when apprehended she was driving a white Land Rover.

Mr Barriscale said his client provided a £3,900 invoice for the Rolex watch which was purchased from a London jewellers.

Det Sgt Stack said that gardai believe that Paul Collopy was the dominant influence concerning the drugs and cash found at the McNamara home in December 2019.

Detective Garda Paul Heaslip said that gardai believe that the owner of the €37,965 seized in May 2021 was Paul Collopy.