Tipperary court hands expectant mother two suspended sentences for shoplifting spree

Nenagh District Court has given an expectant mother two suspended prison sentences for a spate of shoplifting incidents at various shops in Nenagh last year. 

Aoife Kennedy (27) of 24D Ormond Drive, Nenagh was before Judge Adrian Harris on six charges of theft and one charge of being in possession of stolen items between June 11, 2023 and October 20  and one public order offence on June 11, 2023.

Ms Kennedy pleaded guilty to all charges.

Sergeant Regina McCarthy listed the offences for the court. 

Those were a theft incident at Elverys Nenagh on June 11, 2023, where the defendant entered the store and stole €329 worth of items which were recovered.

On September 12, 2023, the defendant stole items to the value of €165 from Holland and Barrett, again all recovered. 

On the same day, the defendant stole €61.40 worth of cosmetics from Ryan’s Pharmacy and €52.85 worth of cosmetics from Ray Walsh Pharmacy.

On October 3, 2023, the defendant stole €88 worth of items from Tesco on the Borrisokane Road, Nenagh.

On October 20, 2023, Ms Kennedy was stopped by gardaí on Friar Street for behaving in a suspicious manner and was found with €250 worth of children’s clothes. 

And, on the same day, Ms Kennedy entered JKCs in Nenagh and stole toys to the value of €293.76.

In that case, no property was recovered, the court heard. Sgt McCarthy said that when arrested, Ms Kennedy was “forthcoming with admissions.”

Sgt McCarthy told the court that in relation to the public order offence, that on June 11, 2023, gardaí had found the defendant “highly intoxicated” in Banba Square, Nenagh and arrested her.

The sergeant told the court the defendant has 16 previous convictions including for theft and public order. 

EXPECTING

Acting for the defendant, solicitor Elizabeth McKeever said she acknowledges that her client is before the court on a number of serious charges and had been “taking anything she could get her hands on.”

However, before she became pregnant, she had entered a residential drug treatment programme and has been drug-free throughout her pregnancy. 

She has been unable to return due to her pregnancy but is due in November and has engaged with the probation service.

Ms McKeever said that her client has not come to the attention of gardaí since October 2023.

For the public order charge, Judge Harris gave the defendant a fine of €100 with four months to pay. 

In regards to the six theft matters, the judge imposed a three-month prison sentence suspended for two years and reiterated that the defendant must not commit any crimes in that time. 

On the charge of possession of stolen goods, the judge imposed a one-month sentence suspended for two years.