Couple who travelled to Cork on promise of work collected plastic bottles to buy food

Couple ended up begging on the streets

The court heard the pair had come to Ireland for employment which had not materialised. File picture

A couple who came to Cork on the promise of employment ended up begging on the streets and collecting plastic bottles to raise money to buy food.

That was the scenario described by defence solicitor Eddie Burke when he represented Gabriela Iftimia, aged 33, of no fixed address at Cork District Court.

She pleaded guilty to three counts of obstructing the free passage of pedestrians by begging in Cork city at Paul St, Oliver Plunkett St and St Patrick’s St on dates from April 30 last year to Tuesday, July 29, this year.

She had four previous convictions from Drogheda District Court for the same offence committed on dates between October 2022 and April 2023. She was fined for those offences.

Mr Burke said she and her husband have children back in Romania and had come to Ireland for employment which had not materialised.

“They have been collecting plastic bottles to raise money to try and feed themselves,” Mr Burke said.

The defence solicitor said the defendant planned to return to her children in Romania on August 20.

Judge Mary Dorgan said she would adjourn the matter of sentencing until September 16 for evidence of a flight ticket indicating that Ms Iftimia had left the jurisdiction.