Mother who named kids after gardaí avoids jail

A Roma mother hoping to avoid a three-month jail sentence for stealing a religious medal and cash from an elderly churchgoer was so sorry and had such a lack of animosity towards the gardaí that she named her triplets after three gardaí in Cork.

Defence solicitor Dennis Healy, said that, such was her respect for An Garda Síochána and her lack of animosity towards them, that she christened her children with Irish names she knew from local gardaí.

Dedina Rostas, of Scabeg, South Douglas Rd, Cork, appealed a three-month jail sentence at Cork Circuit Appeals Court yesterday.

She was convicted and sentenced last year at Cork District Court for stealing from 86-year-old Dan Desmond as he left St Francis Church, Liberty St, Cork, on January 9, 2013.

Rostas and a co-accused said they were in the church praying that day.

The two women ushered Mr Desmond into an alcove as he left the church and got the money and medal out of his pocket.

Mr Desmond said the first woman “got me around the chest. They were pawing me around.”

Mr Healy said yesterday that while Rostas had several theft convictions, they were all for stealing food.

Judge Seán Ó Donnabháin said the crime against the elderly man was a particularly nasty type of offence. He said Rostas deserved to be jailed but he gave her an opportunity to avoid jail only because of the responsibility she had for her children.

He adjourned the appeal for 12 months and said that if she got into no further trouble in that period the three-month sentence would be suspended.