A woman who had received a four month suspended sentence for stealing goods valued at €1,349 from a supermarket nearly three years ago, will now have to serve that sentence after she was found removing security tags at a clothes store.
Rosanne Sweeney with an address at 76 Manor Village, Castlebar, but formerly of 45 Rahylin Glebe, Ballybane, Galway, was summoned to appear at Galway District Court last Wednesday for the offence of stealing four DVD players and groceries, valued at €1,349, on December 18, 2005.
Garda evidence revealed how the defendant accompanied by another entered Clarke’s Supermarket in Barna at 12.35pm and filled two shopping trollies with groceries and four portable DVD players and left without paying. The court heard how the defendant had received a four month suspended sentence for two years and was ordered to keep the peace.
However, on April 13, 2007, the defendant entered Elvery’s in Claremorris in Mayo and took the security tags off clothing, leaving holes in the garments and causing €100 in damage. She then hid the tags but left the clothes behind in the shop. The court also heard how the defendant had pleaded guilty to the latest charge in September, 2008, and had 23 previous convictions.
Defence solicitor Valerie Corcoran said that the defendant, who has three children, regretted committing the offences straight away. She earlier told the court that Sweeney has been referred to the psychiatrist unit by her GP. She also said that the defendant is aware that she had been given a chance and moved out of Galway because of family issues.
Ms Corcoran then asked Judge Mary Fahy to consider a community service order instead of activating the four month sentence.
However, Judge Fahy refused to grant a community service order because of the large amount of the goods involved. Leave to appeal was granted.
