A mother of 10 was jailed for 12 months and banned from driving for 10 years in her absence in the District Court this week (April 14 ).
Patricia McDonnell (33 ) with one given address at Cluain na Sliada, Kilashee, Co Longford pleaded guilty to four counts of shoplifting and two of driving without insurance a fortnight ago, and though convicted then, the judge postponed sentencing untill this week as the defendant had more serious matters to be dealt with concerning a suspended sentence in Roscommon in the interim.
McDonnell was sentenced to a total of 26 months in jail, with the last 14 to run concurrently, for the four counts of shoplifting, including that of a Childline charity box, worth a total of €2,300 from Foxes, Dunnes Stores, Montree and Spollens on three occasions in January last year. No goods were recovered after any of the four thefts. She was also convicted after being stopped without insurance in November 2008 and on February 21, 2009.
McDonnell, who has 40 previous convictions, had another bench warrant issued in her absence.
