Thursday 5 November 2026Compiled from published reports. Every claim links to its source.

Ireland Crime

Every case followed from the first report to the sentence, or to where the reporting stopped.

Case No. 28655Unlawful keeping of tobacco products for sale or delivery · Co. Offaly · 15 May 2019

Sentenced to community service for unlawful tobacco keeping in Tullamore

On 15 May 2019, a sniffer dog detected tobacco at the Portlaoise mails centre, leading to a search of a house in Crinkle, Birr, Offaly, where 31,480 cigarettes, 14.65kg of fine cut tobacco, and 4.1kg of loose leaf tobacco were found. Margarita Kalmikova, a 44-year-old Latvian woman who had lived in Ireland since 2001, was charged with unlawfully keeping tobacco products for sale or delivery. She pleaded guilty at Tullamore Circuit Court in July 2021 before Judge Keenan Johnson and was granted bail until sentencing. In December 2021, she was sentenced to 240 hours of community service in lieu of six months in prison.

  1. Reportednot reported
  2. Arrestednot reported
  3. Chargednot reported
  4. In court10 Jul
  5. Verdictnot reported
  6. Sentenced26 Dec
reportedhappened, not reportedlatest stagenot yet

Key facts

consolidated from all reports
What happened
31,480 cigarettes, 14.65kg of fine cut tobacco, and 4.1kg of loose leaf tobacco were found in a house in Crinkle, Birr.
Where
The tobacco was hidden in a kitchen press, under the stairs, in a front office room upstairs, and a front bedroom.
When
The seizure occurred on 15 May 2019.
Investigation
A sniffer dog detected tobacco at the Portlaoise mails centre, and a dog handler also found a substance in the Dublin mails centre addressed to the same house in Crinkle.
Charges
She was charged with unlawfully keeping tobacco products for sale or delivery.
In court
  • She pleaded guilty at Tullamore Circuit Court before Judge Keenan Johnson in July 2021.
  • She was granted court bail until 7 December 2021 for sentencing, with a probation report and a translator directed.
Sentence
She was sentenced to 240 hours of community service in lieu of six months in prison.
Other details
  • She had no previous convictions.
  • She said she obtained the tobacco from a friend in Luxembourg, paid for via Western Union, and claimed the products were for personal use but admitted selling cigarettes to friends a few times.
  • She had been living in Ireland since 2001 and had been working in Dooly's Hotel in Birr before stopping due to a back injury.
21 statements extracted from the articles
  • whatShe had 31,480 cigarettes on 15 May 2019. (offalyexpress.ie)
  • whatShe had 14.65 kilogrammes of tobacco for rolling cigarettes on 15 May 2019. (offalyexpress.ie)
  • whatLoose leaf tobacco weighing 4.1kg, 14.65kg of fine cut tobacco and 31,480 rolled cigarettes were found in the house (offalyexpress.ie)
  • whereTobacco products were found in a kitchen press, under the stairs, in a front office room upstairs and a front bedroom (offalyexpress.ie)
  • whenThe seizure occurred on 15 May 2019 (offalyexpress.ie)
  • investigationA sniffer dog detected tobacco at the Portlaoise mails centre (offalyexpress.ie)
  • courtShe pleaded guilty to being unlawfully in possession of tobacco products for sale at Tullamore Circuit Court. (offalyexpress.ie)
  • courtShe was granted court bail until 7 December 2021 for sentencing. (offalyexpress.ie)
  • courtJudge Keenan Johnson directed that a probation report be prepared on the defendant. (offalyexpress.ie)
  • courtA Russian translator was to be present on the sentencing date. (offalyexpress.ie)
  • courtThe case was heard at Tullamore Circuit Court before Judge Keenan Johnson (offalyexpress.ie)
  • sentenceThe accused was sentenced to 240 hours of community service in lieu of six months in prison (offalyexpress.ie)
  • otherShe had no previous convictions. (offalyexpress.ie)
  • otherTullamore court house had to be evacuated on Monday morning after an alarm sounded. (offalyexpress.ie)
  • otherThe accused said she obtained the tobacco from a friend in Luxembourg paid for via Western Union (offalyexpress.ie)
  • otherThe accused claimed the products were for her own personal use but admitted selling cigarettes to friends a few times (offalyexpress.ie)
  • otherThe accused had no previous convictions (offalyexpress.ie)
  • otherThe accused was a Latvian woman who had been living in Ireland since 2001 (offalyexpress.ie)
  • otherThe accused had been working in Dooly's Hotel in Birr but stopped due to a back injury (offalyexpress.ie)
  • otherThe judge was satisfied the woman was engaged in the illegal sale and supply of tobacco (offalyexpress.ie)
  • otherA dog handler also found a substance in the Dublin mails centre addressed to the same house in Crinkle (offalyexpress.ie)

The reporting

newest first
  1. 26 Dec2021
    Sentencedoffalyexpress.ie, follow-up
    Woman in court after dog sniffs out illegal tobacco bound for house in Offaly

    Reports the guilty plea and sentencing at Tullamore Circuit Court, including details of the tobacco seizure, the accused's background, and the judge's reasoning.

    convicted, Margarita Kalmikova, 44, female, Latvian, named, non-irishMargarita Kalmikova
  2. 10 Jul2021
    In courtoffalyexpress.ie, first report
    Offaly woman pleads guilty to unlawful possession of tobacco products

    Records the guilty plea at Tullamore Circuit Court, the granting of bail until 7 December 2021 for sentencing, and the judge's direction for a probation report and a Russian translator.

    accused, Margarita Kalmikova, female, named, non-irish (judged from name)Margarita Kalmikova