Pair impersonated gardaí in bid to gain entry to home of elderly men, court told

TWO women from north Cork pretending to be gardaí tried to trick their way into the home of two bachelor brothers living in Limerick, a court was told yesterday.

Both were subsequently arrested as part of a continuing investigation into the targeting of elderly people living in isolated rural areas, Limerick Circuit Court heard.

Kate O’Brien, 20, of Shoulders Lane, Mallow, and Louise Galvin, 23, of Ballinaboul, Churchtown, Mallow, had previously pleaded guilty to impersonating members of An Garda Síochána on July 3, 2009. The court was told O’Brien had 33 previous convictions of which 23 were for theft offences. Galvin had 28 previous convictions, of which 16 related to theft.