A woman whose thieving sprees featured in a national Sunday publication earlier this year, was remanded in custody for at least another week after a judge voiced his amazement at her being released from jail only two days after commencing a 12 month sentence for theft only to go on another spree in Athlone.
Judge David Anderson was told in the District Court this week (April 14 ) how Maitland O’Neill (23 ) from Meadowbrook, Willow Park, Athlone was sentenced to two six-month sentences on March 15, and had “more than 40 previous convictions”.
“And she was in Londis [stealing] on the 17th?” asked the judge.
“Temporary release (TR ), judge,” said Inspector Nicholas Farrell.
“So, what’s the point? Sometimes I worry they have the gates shut the wrong way round,” said Judge Anderson.
“Two-day TR on two, six month sentences?” said the judge shaking his head.
However, her solicitor, Mr Mark Cooney, told him his client had “addiction issues” and was attending treatment in jail.
It was revealed how temporary releases are offered to non-violent offenders in the Dóchas women’s prison to alleviate overcrowding, presently running at close to 50 per cent above capacity there.
“You mean the governor can’t actually force her out the gate?” asked the judge after hearing O’Neill had refused a second offer of TR since her re-arrest.
“She knows w hat would happen,” said Mr Cooney, referring to the likelihood of re-offending if unable to attend the in-house treatment she was now receiving.
“She’s been in there now for two weeks,” he said, before adding she had an official release date next January.
“She doesn’t want to come back to Athlone. She’s happy to take her medicine,” he said.
“That’s all very admirable, Mr Cooney, but if I sentence her now she might change her mind tomorrow when the governor is walking around offering TRs like sweets,” said the judge.
“I’ll tell you what. I’ll remove the temptation from Ms O’Neill and the Prison Service by remanding her in custody for a probation report. I believe she can’t be given TR if she’s on remand,” he said before sending her back into custody for one week and asking the Welfare and Probation Service to prepare a report on her drug treatment situation.
Earlier, the court heard how O’Neill had been arrested on March 17 after stealing a cash bag of €46 from Londis. When in custody she admitted to stealing a further bale of briquettes from Londis, and a power drill from each of Heavins and Woodies, none of which were recovered.
Between then and April 1, she pleaded guilty to the theft of €10 worth of groceries from Croghans, €28 of dog food from Petworld, a €10 DVD from Xtravision, a €250 computer monitor from Aldi, and €127 from a property on the Dublin Road.
Of all her previous convictions, over 20 were for theft, the court heard. It was a number of handbag thefts in the Temple Bar area of Dublin last year that brought her to the notice of a national Sunday publication .
In March 2009, whilst in court for a similar raft of offences for which she got a suspended sentence, O’Neill told the court through a different solicitor that she had been using heroin but had detoxed in Dochas and “was clean since mid-December”.
In June 2009, whilst up on shoplifting charges for which she was given a month in jail, she assured the court through another solicitor “she has been free from drugs since March”.
