A 62-year-old Mayo woman who had clocked up 45 previous convictions for theft related offences, received a fine and a five month suspended sentence for a theft committed at a Galway pharmacy just two days after receiving a suspended sentence in another court.
Margaret Horne with an address at 15 St Muredachs Terrace, Ballina, Mayo, was back before Judge Mary Fahy at Galway District Court on Monday for sentence after pleading guilty at a previous sitting for theft at Leo Walsh pharmacy, Eyre Square, Galway, on June 8, 2012.
The court had previously heard that the defendant had entered the pharmacy at 1.15pm and stole a number of items totalling €93.50 which were later recovered. Horne also has 49 previous convictions, 45 of which were for similar theft offences, including a three month sentence suspended for six months for a theft offence which was imposed on June 6, 2012, just two days before the latest Galway theft. The matter was then sent back to Castlebar District Court to deal with the suspended sentence for the previous conviction.
When the case resumed this week Galway District Court heard that the suspended sentence was not reactivated and that she had been ordered to return to her native Scotland.
“The goods had been returned. She has no business being in Galway,” said defence solicitor Olivia Traynor, to which Judge Fahy replied: “According to the people of Mayo she has no busines being there either. If she behaved herself no court would have any difficulty with her.”
For the theft charge Judge Fahy convicted Horne and imposed a fine of €200 and a four month sentence suspended for 12 months on condition that she enter into a bond of €300 to be of good behaviour and stay away from Galway city and county. For failing to appear in court Horne was further given a sentence of one month, consecutive, which was also suspended on the same conditions.
