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.

Detective Garda Michael Herlihy said he was in a patrol car with Garda Roger O’Donoghue on July 3, 2009, at about 6pm when they got a report to go to the home of an elderly man at a remote rural area outside Abbeyfeale.

On arrival, he met the man, who lived there with his bachelor brother.

The man was distressed and informed him two women claiming to be gardaí from Limerick had wanted to enter the house.

One of the two women produced a passport as identity. The man refused to let them in and closed the door. He told his brother to ring the gardaí.

Det Gda Herlihy said he had given the brothers certain advice following a previous incident.

Det Gda Herlihy said the two accused were arrested on July 20 as part of a continuing investigation into the targeting of elderly people living in remote areas.

The two made full admissions during interviews with gardaí.

When they were in Newcastle West earlier in the day, they decided to go the house having heard there was money there.

Galvin admitted trying to get the confidence of the old man they met at the house in order to get into house and take money.

Mark Nicholas BL, for O’Brien, said she was pregnant and said it was a terrible offence to prey on elderly people in that manner.

“This was not professionally planned; it was inept and there was no attempt to force their way in after the man closed the door. The attempt was a bad thing and a frightening step up from her previous convictions,” he said.

Judge Carroll Moran adjourned sentencing until December 6, 2011, and said both faced two years in jail if they got into trouble in the meantime.

He added: “If they stay out of trouble for the next 12 months they will stay out of prison.”