A 31-year-old mother, pregnant with her ninth child, was sentenced to 11 months’ imprisonment by Judge John Neilan at Mullingar Court last week.
Patricia McDonnell, 4 Moy Close, Ballymahon, received an 11-month sentence when she was convicted of stealing assorted children’s clothing valued €30 at Heatons, Pearse Street, Mulllingar, on a date unknown between October 1 and 27, 2007.
The defendant received a similar concurrent sentence on each of the following charges - stealing a ladies' handbag containing €20, an Apple Ipod and a Credit Union book, the property of Sarah Kelly, at Industria, Harbour Place, Mullingar on October 19 2007; stealing assorted Armani perfume box sets and a nail set valued €164.45, at Unicare, Pearse Street, Mullingar, on October 27 2007; stealing assorted goods valued €56.88 at Cards N Things, Harbour Place, on October 27 2007; stealing children’s toys valued €190.97, at World of Wonder, Lakepoint Business Park, Mullingar, on October 27 2007 and stealing children’s toys valued €389.97 at the same location on the same day. She pleaded guilty to the offences.
The court heard that the defendant and her 12-year-old daughter were observed leaving World of Wonder carrying boxes of toys. When Gardai asked her to produce a receipt for the toys, she admitted that they were stolen from Byrne's World of Wonder. More toys and perfume were found in the boot of her car. Patricia McDonnell admitted all the offences and co-operated with gardai.
The court heard that she had 26 previous convictions, the majority of which were theft offences.
Ms Patricia Cronin, solicitor, told the court that the majority of the property was recovered except the goods stolen in Heatons and the handbag. The defendant co-operated with gardai and admitted further offences while she was in custody. She is married with eight children aged from 13 years to one year, and is due to give birth to her ninth child in December.
She was suffering from postnatal depression at the time the offences were committed, and is seeing a psychiatrist at the mental health clinic in Longford. Ms Cronin said her client had asked her to apologise to the court. Neither the defendant nor her husband are working and their circumstances are poor. The court heard that the defendant was in her mother's car in Ballinasloe when it was stopped by gardai. When a check was run, it was discovered that the defendant had an outstanding bench warrant. The court also heard that there were a number of commital warrants against the defendant.
