Mr Hanahoe suggested a 10-year headline sentence as an appropriate one, in line with the “presumptive mandatory minimum sentence” for similar drug offences. Mr O’Hanlon agreed with Ms Justice Kennedy he was submitting that while the sentence “may seem lenient, it is not too lenient”. In quashing the original sentence, Ms Justice Kennedy said the headline sentence of six-and-a-half years had been unduly lenient and that the court would re-sentence Lawlor. Ms Justice Kennedy identified 10 years as a headline sentence before reducing it to seven-and-a-half years in mitigation. Ms Justice Kennedy then suspended the final three-and-a-half years of the sentence to encourage Lawlor’s rehabilitation.

Source: The Herald November 27, 2023 20:59 UTC