Donegal court convicts and fines woman found with cannabis worth €20
The woman had the option of avoiding conviction with a court poor box donation
A woman has been convicted and fined for possession of cannabis worth €20 after failing to make a donation to charity.
Sarah Stitt, 33, of 20 Ard Crannagh, Letterkenny was charged with possession of cannabis at Tullyearl Roundabout, Donegal Town on November 14, 2020. She was due to appear at Donegal District Court on Monday but was not present.
A previous hearing which Stitt also did not attend ‘for personal reasons’ had been adjourned to allow her to make a donation to charity.
On that occasion her solicitor Rory O’Brien said his client was anxious to avoid a conviction. Judge Raymond Finnegan said at the previous sitting that if Stitt made a donation of €200 to White Oaks rehabilitation centre, the Probation of Offenders Act would be applied. However, if the donation was not paid, Stitt would be convicted and would have to pay a fine of €250.
Monday’s sitting heard that the donation had not been made, despite a second adjournment also having been granted.
Judge Sandra Murphy therefore imposed a conviction and fined the defendant €250.