Woman took mother’s rings worth €60k
Judge Patrick J Moran said to Amy O’Donovan, aged 26: “This was a nasty crime, which was committed by you on your own mother and your grandmother. You sold the rings and got a very, very considerable undervalue for the rings — only a few hundred euro.”
Det Garda James O’Reilly testified at Cork Circuit Criminal Court that O’Donovan stole the rings from her mother’s home at Mervue Crescent, Ballyvolane, Cork, and sold them. O’Donovan was living at a house at Bridgetown Close, Castlemartyr, Co Cork, at the time. Det Garda Hayes said that while the defendant was not living at her mother’s home she did have access to the house.
Following the theft of her mother’s valuable rings, the defendant’s grandmother noticed that rings belonging to her were missing too. Two of the grandmother’s rings were recovered from a shop that buys and sells jewellery and gold.
O’Donovan signed a plea of guilty to the crimes and was before the court for sentencing yesterday.
“As a result of this, there is a split in the family,” the detective said.
“Some members of the family are very bitter as a result of the incident. Others are standing by her. Neither her mother nor her grandmother want to see her go to prison.”
Regarding motive, the detective said the defendant told them she did not have money at the time and she needed money.
Donal McCarthy, defence barrister, said: “I am instructed that she was under the influence of a boyfriend at the time.”
Her mother’s five rings and four owned by her grandmother were taken between Oct and Dec 2011. O’Donovan pleaded guilty to stealing rings at her mother’s home, and rings worth €2,000 from her grandmother’s home at Ashford Heights.
