A woman who stole €200 from a Crumlin children's hospital charity as well as a handbag and a selection of cosmetics, was given a suspended sentence in the District Court this week (March 11 ).
However, with a history of non-appearance in court, she was remanded back in custody to face a number of additional charges in a Dublin court later this week.
Maitland O'Neill (22 ) with an address in Meadowbrook, Willow Park had been arrested the day before court on foot of an outstanding bench warrant, and remanded in custody in Longford District Court to appear in Athlone.
On Wednesday (March 11 ), O'Neill pleaded guilty to the three theft charges and one count of criminal damage, from November 28, when she threw a bottle of beer through a window in an unoccupied house in Thornbury Drive, causing €150 worth of damage. No compensation had been offered.
The court also heard how two of the thefts were within minutes of each other on September 18.
Gardai were taking details of the handbag theft from a car in Irishtown when they were notified about the €200 charity theft from the nearby McDonalds.
The gardai pursued the defendant and when she was apprehended, they found on her person a mobile phone stolen from the car and €200 worth of coins.
The third theft was €70 worth of cosmetics and razors from Cunningham's pharmacy on November 29. All items were recovered.
As she had pleaded guilty, the court was able to hear how O'Neill had previously been given a three month sentence for theft in Nenagh District Court in July 2007.
Her solicitor, Mr Tony McLynn, told the court how O'Neill had been using heroin during the period of these crimes but had detoxed in Dochas, the women's prison, and “was clean since mid-December”.
“The other matters for Dublin were all committed last year and drugs were a feature in all previous convictions clocked up,” he said.
On the criminal damage matter, Judge Timothy Lucey sentenced O'Neill to four months in prison, but suspended this for one year on condition she sign a bond to keep the peace and pays compensation for the broken window.
All the other convictions were taken into consideration as O'Neill was led off in cuffs to face the Dublin charges.
