Susan Byrne drug addict who hid €600 worth of heroin in her underwear while her partner brandished a large sword at gardaí

Susan Byrne drug addict who hid €600 worth of heroin in her underwear while her partner brandished a large sword at gardaí has been given an 18-month suspended sentence by Judge Katherine Delahunt.Susan Byrne (aged 26) Shanganagh Wood, Shankill, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to being in possession of the drugs for sale or supply and obstructing a garda during the course of a drug search at Rathsallagh Drive, also Shankill, on April 16, 2005.Garda Mark Russell told Mr Remy Farrell BL, prosecuting, that gardaí forced their way into the house shouting that they were gardaí and had a search warrant while running up the stairs.
Byrne's partner and co-accused then came out of a bedroom carrying a large sword forcing the gardaí to step back. The accused then came out of the room and gardaí saw her trying to put something into her underwear.Gda Russell said that the "standoff" ended when Byrne's boyfriend put down the sword and gardaí were able to overpower and arrest him. A female garda had to be called in order to retrieve the 28 deals of heroin from Byrne's underwear.Byrne later took full responsibility for the drugs and told gardaí she was a drug user. She had no previous convictions.
Judge Delahunt accepted that Byrne had taken considerable steps to deal with her drug addiction and described her efforts as "impressive". She also took into account the fact that she had not come to garda attention since.She suspended the entire sentence for a period of three years with conditions.