A woman appealing a four month sentence for the theft of a dress and violently resisting arrest was warned at the Galway Circuit Court to make arrangements for the care of her children and to bring a bag.
Judge Raymond Groarke, who felt that children were being used to bully him into leniency, gave the warning after hearing how Miriam Adedosu had stolen a €500 dress from Treasure Chest, struggled with a garda, and then claimed that she had only been arrested because she was “coloured”.
The 35-year-old Nigerian national with an address at 37 Cloch Ard, Rahoon, was sentenced to a total of four months in jail at Galway District Court on February 4 last for the theft and resisting arrest.
Garda Fiona White told the court this week that on August 5, 2005, CCTV showed the appellant, in the company of two other females, entering a changing room with a pair of jeans and two dresses, however, one dress went missing. At 1.30pm Garda White went into Monsoon where she spotted Adedosu and the other women at the other door. When they came outside Garda White approached Adedosu and attempted to make the arrest. With her hands held in front of her Adedosu kept shouting that she was only being arrested “because she was coloured”. She struggled and Garda White was forced back into Monsoon and hit against the railings.
Garda White was then dragged outside and pushed up against a window. Adedosu managed to get free but was apprehended with the aid of an off-duty garda who intervened. Garda White, whose left hand was cut in the incident, said that the dress was never recovered. Adedosu has two previous convictions for theft for September 2004 and March 2005.
Counsel for the defence explained that the single mother had not come to the attention of gardai since and that the sentence imposed may be “severe” in light of the fact that the incident took place over three years ago. The barrister then asked for the sentence to be suspended and for a community service order to put in place instead. She added that there was no one able to look after Adedosu’s two children who would be left “motherless”.
Judge Groarke replied that the appellant should have made arrangements, considering what may happen. “Where are her partners in crime, are they not available? I don’t like being bullied and I’m getting a distinct impression that this is what is being done... She used physical violence on the garda to execute her escape. No court can tolerate that behaviour,” he said.
The case was then adjourned to Tuesday, February 24.
