Woman asked man for €2 in Offaly car park and then stole €150 from him

A WOMAN asked a man for €2 in a car park and then stole €150 from him, Tullamore District Court heard.

Judge Andrew Cody was told that Leanne Dooley (29), Kilbride Street, Tullamore, grabbed three €50 notes from the wallet of a 50-year-old man when he was checking it for the smaller amount.

Sergeant Justine Reilly told the court Ms Dooley was stopped a short distance later and the money was recovered.

She co-operated with gardai following the incident, which occurred on July 23 last at the Bridge Centre car park in Tullamore.

Judge Cody was told Ms Dooley had 50 previous convictions, including 27 for theft. Her most recent convictions were for public order offences and she had been sentenced to three months' imprisonment in Mountjoy.

However, she had no convictions since January 2022, Sergeant Reilly said.

Ms Dooley's solicitor, Patrick Martin, said his client had had a difficult life and four children of hers were in care.

She had addiction issues and had been homeless and she apologised to the person she had approached for the money.

Mr Martin said medication Ms Dooley had been on had been changed at the time of the offence and she just saw the money and took it. The solicitor added that the incident was being recorded by CCTV at that location.

Judge Cody said he would give Ms Dooley credit for her guilty plea because if she had pleaded not guilty and been convicted he would send her to prison.

He imposed a three-month sentence but suspended it for two years, warning her that she would serve it if she came back before the court during that time.