New solicitor for mother and daughter charged over Christmas drugs seizure at Shannon Airport

A MOTHER and daughter who are accused of possessing nearly €1.3m worth of cannabis at Shannon airport two days before Christmas, have been further remanded in custody.

Dovil Reifonaite, aged 40, and Migle Kurieniute, aged 20, both with an address at Newlands, Mullingar, County Westmeath, appeared before Ennis District Court this Wednesday.

In what was their third court appearance since being charged, they appeared via video link from the women’s prison at Limerick prison.

The two spent the Christmas and New Year period in custody after they failed to secure bail at a special court sitting in Limerick on Christmas Eve.

Each accused is charged with one count of possession of cannabis for sale or supply, as well as one count of possession of cannabis. The offences are alleged to have occurred on December 23, 2024.

READ ALSO: Limerick braced as new weather warning comes into effect

Solicitor for the two, John Casey told the court previously that he was waiting for the Christmas holidays to end before he could bring an application for bail to the High Court.

In court this Wednesday Mr Casey applied to come off-record (legally representing the pair) and Dublin-based solicitor, Adam Dodd said that he is now representing the two.

Judge Gabbett granted the application and he transferred the legal aid cert to Mr Dodd.

During the procedural hearing, Sergeant John Burke told the court that gardai are awaiting directions from the DPP.

Sgt Burke previously told the court that a small sample of the suspected drugs was brought to Forensic Science Ireland (FSI) and that the tests confirmed that the substance is cannabis.

Judge Gabbett directed that a Lithuanian interpreter be present for the next day in court. Daughter, Migle has very good English while mother, Dovil requires the interpreter.

At the Christmas Eve court sitting, gardaí told the bail hearing that, at 11:16am on December 23 last, the two accused disembarked from a flight at Shannon Airport from Boston.

Gardaí alleged that officers attached to Revenue discovered 64kgs of vacuum-packed packages of cannabis with a street value of €1.28 million, in four suitcases belonging to the two accused.

It was a “significant quantity” of drugs, they stated.

Mr Casey told the Christmas Eve court that Ms Reifonaite and Ms Kurieniute had lived in Mullingar for the past eight years and that they would abide by any bail conditions.

“Ms Kurieniute has been here since she was 12. They have set up home here, and if granted bail they will sign on daily or even twice daily at a garda station, this is where their life is,” said Mr Casey. 

Judge Gabbett further remanded the two in custody to appear, via video-link, at Ennis District Court on January 22.

Addressing the defendants from the body of the courtroom, Mr Dodd said: "I will make further contact and meet ye in person in the near future."