A Ballybrit woman, who was caught on CCTV cheekily reaching over a shop counter and stealing €500 in cash and a €470 cheque, has been ordered to serve an extra five months in jail.
The Galway District Court heard how 32-year-old Anne Marie Barrett of 21 The Meadows, Ballybrit entered a plea of guilty to the burglary at Ballindooley Stores on the Headford Road on April 14, 2010. She also pleaded guilty to a further charge of failing to appear in court on May 11, 2011.
The court head that on April 14 last year at 6.30pm the owner of Ballindooley Stores had been serving a customer when the defendant entered. Barrett then went to the other side of the counter, leaned over it, managing to steal a cheque to the value of €470 and €500 cash before leaving the store. Inspector Ernie White said that Barrett has 25 previous convictions including a number of convictions and jail sentences for burglary in July 2010. The court heard that Barrett is currently serving a total of one year and nine months in jail with a release date of December 29 this year. Inspector White added that €500 compensation has been handed into court.
“This is a small local shop, this lady just walks in like that and reaches over and takes €500 in cash. What’s her explanation?” asked Judge Mary Fahy.
Defence solicitor Olivia Traynor said that Barrett had been identified on CCTV and had been heavily on drugs at the time. Ms Traynor explained that Barrett is a heroin addict and “the money had been spent in relation to enabling her habit”. She said that there is family support around her client, that they have tried to help her, and came up with the €500 for compensation.
Taking the plea of guilty into account Judge Fahy convicted Barrett of the burglary charge and imposed a five-month sentence to be served on lawful termination of the sentence already being served. A further one-month sentence, to run concurrently, was imposed for the remaining charge.
