In an unusual case, a police officer was found guilty and sentenced to six months behind bars for pilfering a cannabis exhibit worth €70. The Dublin District Court found that Holly Lane (34) was under the influence of alcohol on duty when she sent her partner a photograph of the drug, attached with the text message, “Baby, I got you this”. Lane had been refuting claims of unlawfully possessing cannabis, theft of seized cannabis, and possessing it for intended sale or distribution at Store Street police station on 12th December 2021.
Judge John Hughes delivered his judgement after a bench trial on Monday; he issued a nine-month sentence, suspending the final three months on grounds that Lane adhered to supervised probation for two years and sought therapy for substance abuse issues. He mentioned that though Lane’s tenure as a police officer had been suspended since the incident, it has essentially ended, as informed by David Staunton, Lane’s barrister.
An officers testimonial in court suggested that Lane’s shift started at 7pm that day and she was noticeably absent after 1.30am. A fellow police officer reported her being unsteady while walking. Upon finding Lane in an untidy state in a changing room at the station, they decided to escort her home. Officers searching for her car keys unearthed a half and a quarter bottle of vodka from her bag and locker respectively in the changing room. Lane brushed off their observations, claiming she just had a sip and denied being drunk.
Following her, another officer discovered her bag at the desk, which emanated a potent smell of cannabis from a white plastic bag within. In an intriguing twist, this officer revealed that Lane shared a snapshot in a work group on WhatsApp, showing a bag and a caption reading “Look what I got for you”. The officer inferred that it could be the stolen cannabis, possibly procured from a drug dealing crime.
A fellow officer had confiscated the cannabis earlier in the month, but due to a malfunctioning printer that prevented labeling the package, he failed to store it in the customary drug safe. Instead, he stashed it in his personal locker, hidden beneath a file in the community policing office. Nonetheless, he later discovered some disturbance in his locker’s contents. The court was informed that the contents of another locker had been spilled onto the floor.
Lane refrained from testifying but issued a prepared statement to detectives from the Garda headquarters, asserting that she had been in the office working on files related to two drug cases. She stated that she found herself short of bags while organising exhibits, noticed more in a locker, and helped herself to them, declaring that other items had “fallen” out in the process.
The officer admitted to retreating to the female changing rooms to consume vodka, as she had been grappling with grave addiction issues, heightened by stress and feelings of being overwhelmed. She stated that it was her second instance of consuming alcohol on duty.
Nevertheless, Lane vehemently insisted that she had come across the cannabis left on the desk but had not taken it. She endeavored to persuade the gardaí that her consumption of anti-anxiety medication had amplified the effects of the alcohol. She insisted that her text message was meant as a jest. The court learned that she had sent a message saying “Baby, I’ve got this for you,” which had mistakenly landed in her work group chat on WhatsApp, garnering a jovial response.
Judge Hughes heard from Lane that she intended to send it to her girlfriend, but the judge dismissed her explanation.
Mr Staunton requested leniency, furnishing testimonials and indicating that Lane has undergone treatment for her mental health and had been abstaining from alcohol for the previous year.
However, Judge Hughes emphasised that as a garda, Lane held a crucial position of trust and power. He fixed the appeal bail at €500 if she wishes to contest the verdict or sentence.