A CLAIM by a Ukrainian woman that she was so anxious over her husband being on the front line that she drew a blank and stole from a city store, just did not add up for a Judge at Galway District Court.
After hearing evidence from the defence that the 50-year-old simply drew a blank following a phone call with her husband in the Ukrainian army that she entered Penney’s in the Eyre Square Shopping Centre, took clothing to the value of €60 into the changing rooms, removed the security tags and left without attempting to pay, Judge King said: “It’s just not adding up for me.”
He was told the woman was stopped by security staff and the clothing was recovered. Under caution she made an admission to Garda.
Her solicitor pleaded that the defendant came to Ireland in 2022 and had worked as a cleaner but was now unable to for health reasons. She had adult children. Her husband was at the front in an area of very heavy fighting with Russian invading forces and she was very stressed and anxious over this. She got a phone call from him on the day of the theft and “her mind just went blank” she was under such stress.
“Why did her mind go blank?” the Judge asked, adding “this is just not adding up for me.”
The defence pleaded that she had made a terrible decision on the day but she was unlikely to do anything like it again.
Judge King said if she made a €200 contribution to the Court Poor Box he would apply the Probation Act but this was on condition that she did not come to the adverse attention of the Gardaí again.
This article is funded by Comisiún na Meán.
