Women loaded car boot and returned to steal more
One of the women involved in this crime at Smyth’s on Kinsale Road, Cork — where almost €400 worth of toys was taken — was also caught stealing a trolley loaded with over €1,100 from one supermarket and a trolley laden with €500 worth of items from another.
Judge Con O’Leary said this young woman was stealing these items despite having received the assistance of the probation service in dealing with her background difficulties.
Diarmuid Kelleher, solicitor for Chantelle Grimes, said the offences dated back to 2013 and 2014 and that Grimes was now waking up to her responsibilities. He said that recent consultations with the accused had been the first time for her to approach her situation with some maturity.
Inspector Mary King said the accused snatched €1,100 worth of goods from Dunnes Stores at Bishopscourt, Cork, and €500 worth of property from Tesco in Wilton.
Grimes pleaded guilty to all of those shoplifting charges and to several more where the value of items stolen was relatively small.
Judge O’Leary said he was concerned that the probation report had not identified the source of the offending behaviour. It was clarified that she was taking smaller items for her children and larger items in order to sell them.
Mr Kelleher said, “She is taking responsibility now. She would have been under the influence of others at the time.
She was the youngest involved (in the offences described by Insp King). She had a difficult upbringing and she had gone down the road of lawlessness in 2013. She did not seem to realise how serious these matters were and how they were developing.”
The accused spent the past two weeks in prison awaiting sentence yesterday.
Judge O’Leary imposed a combination of penalties including a suspended four-month sentence, 160 hours of community service and a two-year probation bond of Grimes, 21, of 67 Kilmore Road, Knocknaheeny, Cork.
