A beauty entrepreneur has avoided a jail term for having drugs at her work and home, while her husband has been jailed for six years after he took responsibility for the haul.
Edyta Scibior (36) who owns ‘Home of Shellac’ in Carlow town, told gardaí that she knew nothing about the cannabis and amphetamines found in the utility room of her home, telling officers that she never went in there because it was too cold.
She also told gardaí that she was not aware that a further haul of four kilogrammes of cannabis and five kilogrammes of amphetamines was being kept in a store room in the nail salon, although she admitted that only herself and her husband had the key to that room.
Kamil Scibior (42) presented himself at Carlow Garda Station as soon as he heard that his wife had been arrested following the garda raid on their home.
He told gardaí that a person he had never met before handed him the boxes on the street somewhere in Carlow. He said he was due to hold the drugs for a couple of hours before someone was supposed to come and collect them.
Kamil Scibior told gardaí he left one of the boxes in the nail salon. He said he only minded drugs once, that he was not selling drugs and his wife knew nothing about them.
The total drugs found during both searches had an estimated street value of €229,204.
Edyta of Crossneen Manor, Graigcullen, Carlow pleaded guilty at Carlow Circuit Criminal Court to possession of drugs for sale or supply on February 22, 2023 in both premises.
Kamil, pleaded guilty to having drugs, with an estimated street value of €13,000 or more for sale or supply at both premises on the same date.
The charge that Kamil Scibior pleaded guilty to is a more serious offence which carries a maximum penalty of life and a mandatory presumptive sentence of 10 years. A judge has the discretion to impose a lesser sentence of ten years if they find that the case falls into an exceptional category.
Judge Eugene O’Kelly jailed Kamil Scibior for six years and handed down a four and a half year suspended term to Edyta Scibior.
He said the premises were searched due to garda information and acknowledged that Kamil Scibior presented himself at the garda station, made immediate admissions and entered an early guilty plea.
Judge O’Kelly said however that he found Kamil Scibior’s explanation for how he found himself in possession of the drugs to be “implausible”.
He said that, given the fact Kamil Scibior presented himself at the garda station when “he had the opportunity to evade justice”, he felt it would be unfair not to depart from the minimum mandatory term of ten years before he imposed a six-year jail term.
Judge O’Kelly acknowledged defence evidence that Edyta Scibior employs six people and is currently developing a beauty product with a local university that will lead to future employment when it comes to market.
He also accepted that she is the mother of a 14-year-old boy, whose father died a number of years ago. She also acts as a step-mother to Kamil Scibior’s 14-year-old son.
Judge O’Kelly said the despite the fact that Edyta Scibior has pleaded guilty to the offence, she made no admissions in garda interview and does not seem to accept responsibility for the drugs.
However, he said that the court must conclude by reason of her guilty plea that she is now accepting some responsibility.
Judge O’Kelly also took into account “glowing testimonials” handed in on the woman’s behalf.
He imposed a sentence of four and a half years but said that, in “rare and wholly exceptional cases”, a court can suspended a sentence fully.
Judge O’Kelly said he had carefully considered previous case law, as submitted by Ms Scibior’s defence team and he was very conscious of the fact that she was an employer and the impact a prison term would have on the couple’s teenage sons.
He said given that her husband has taken full responsibility for the drugs found, he would suspend the four and half year term on strict conditions including that Edyta Scibior engage with The Probation Service for 18 months.
Detective Garda Ian Roche told Niall Storan BL, prosecuting, that gardaí were acting on inquires, surveillance and intelligence in relation to the sale of drugs in Carlow town. He said it was suspected the Kamil Scibior was “involved in a high manner”.
A warrant was secured to search the couple’s home but there was no answer at the house. Officers gained access and found the drugs in the utility room stashed a large black bag and a biscuit tin. Ecstasy tablets was also found.
Edyta Scibior arrived home and was arrested before being brought to Carlow Garda Station for questioning.
A further quantity of drugs was found in a follow-up search in the nail salon.
The total drugs found during both searches had an estimated street value of €229,204, Det Gda Roche said.
Edyta Scibior told gardaí in interview that she was the owner of the salon and that she shared her home with her husband and their then 12-year-old sons.
She said did not own the drugs and did not know who put them there. She said did not see her husband put them there and she never went to the utility room because it was too cold.
She said the only people who had access to the storeroom in the ‘Home of Shellac’ was herself and her husband.
When asked by gardaí how she could not have known about that drugs were in either premises, Edyta Scibior replied: “Sometimes you are better off not knowing.”
The court heard that both Kamil and Edyta Scibior have minor previous convictions for road traffic offences.
Det Gda Roche said gardaí are satisfied that Edyta Scibior was involved with the drugs.
Aidan Doyle SC, defending Kamil Scibior, said a probation report put his client at a low risk of re-offending. He said he has a child with a former partner and is involved in parenting that child with his wife.
Counsel said his client had a good work history and asked the court to take into account his co-operation with the garda investigation and early admissions.
He submitted that there was “no evidence of trappings of wealth”.
David Bulbulia SC, defending Edyta Scibior, said she had offered a plea to allowing her premises to be used to store drugs but the Director of Public Prosecutions did not accept that plea.
He said a probation report indicated that there was an unwillingness on Edyta’s behalf to accept her involvement but she now accepts that if you own a premises where drugs are found – “you are in effect part of a drugs operation”.
Counsel said Edyta Scibior is in the process of developing a beauty product which she hopes will be manufactured locally. He said she has an excellent employment history and is an entrepreneur who will hopefully be producing an Irish product in the future.