Employees of a Ballybofey supermarket to face trial for 26 theft charges

Two female employees of a supermarket in Donegal are to stand trial after being charged with a litany of thefts from the store.

Shop assistants Patricia Sweeney and co-worker Bernadette McGahern appeared at Letterkenny District Court to face the charges. Both women are charged with 13 different counts of theft from Solo Stores at Sessiaghoneill, Ballybofey.

The pair are charged with stealing goods and money over a three-month period between October 1, 2021 and December 31, 2021. No details of the specific thefts or the amount of cash involved was given in court.

Ms McGahern, aged 59, has an address of Towns Park in Convoy while her co-accused Ms Sweeney, aged 60, has an address of Sessiagh View in Ballybofey. All 26 charges are Contrary to Section 4 of the Criminal Justice (Theft and Fraud Offences Act of 2001. Detective Garda Sergeant John O'Sullivan outlined the charges.

Garda Sergeant Maurice Doyle said the Director of Public Prosecutions had consented that both women be sent forward for trial to the next sitting of Letterkenny Circuit Court in February 2025. Both women did not speak during the hearing. Solicitor for both women, Mr Patsy Gallagher, said he was requesting legal aid for both women.

He said the cases involved alleged incidents over a long period of time as part of a very substantial investigation. He also outlined that because of the nature of the cases, both women had not been working. Legal aid was granted to both women by Judge Eiteain Cunningham.

Mr Gallagher sought to have the cases adjourned until January 20 for the service of books of evidence in the cases.