An habitual thief who managed to give up heroin but not stealing, was sentenced to 20 months in prison this week (January 26 ) in the District Court, after the judge heard her plead guilty to a further 10 offences committed while under a suspended sentence.
Mary O’Neill (19 ), with an address in Meadowbrook, Willow Park, Athlone got somewhat agitated at sentencing when she put her attested to education to work and began adding up what the judge was handing down.
“How long is that? That’s more than three years. Hey. But they can only give two years here,” she shouted, referring to the two years maximum which can be handed down in a District Court.
“There’s murderers and rapists gettin’ out and I’m gettin’ three years for shopliftin’ on heroin?”
Her solicitor, Mr Mark Cooney, calmed the humour a bit by getting the judge to clarify his sentencing, and explain to O’Neill that she would have to serve 20 months.
O’Neill was before Judge David Anderson this week to face a total of 22 charges, but her solicitor argued she had pleaded guilty to 12 of those on February 10 when Judge Lindsey sentenced her to 12 months in jail, suspending it for two years, pending a Probation Report.
Judge Anderson told Mr Cooney he couldn’t see any evidence of a guilty plea on the 12 charge sheets from February 10 and adjourned a final decision on these back to Judge Lindsey’s next appearance on February 3.
“Let’s move on to the new generation,” said the judge.
“I have about 10 more, judge,” said Inspector Aidan Minnock, for the State.
These were: the theft of clothes and cosmetics from Texas on Austin Friar Street, Mullingar on January 17, 2010 - recovered; €30 worth of groceries on July 30, and €80 worth of whiskey on August 9 from Lidl, Athlone - not recovered; €18 and €14 worth of groceries from Centra, Church Street, on September 8 and 9 - not recovered; Dolce and Gabbana handbag and contents worth €950 from the Radisson bar on December 11 - not recovered; handbag containing €450 in cash from O’Neills bar, Mardyke Street on December 17 - not recovered; curtains worth €204 from Dunnes Stores, Montree on January 3, 2011 - not recovered; and two bench warrants issues on October 26 and January 12, 2011, the latter of which was on a date when her probation report was due to be handed in.
Mr Cooney referred to the thefts of the two handbags as “an unfortunate progression” in his client’s behaviour, but continued to plead for the former ward of the State whom he referred to as a “very sorry case”.
“She has a reasonable standard of education, but unfortunately hasn’t taken steps to further this,” he said.
“She was involved with drugs but got off them on her own,” he said. The court heard later how she had been clear of them for five months.
“The Probation Service indicated they can be of no further help,” noted the judge before handing down the sentence. He gave her 10 months on each of the bench warrants and made them consecutive.
He also sentenced O’Neill to eight months consecutive on each of the stolen handbags, with a further consecutive four months for the stolen curtains. He then ordered these two 20-month sentences to run together from January 20, her first day of incarceration. The judge set an independent surety of €3,000.
