Derry Court: Suspended sentence for woman with 'very poor record'

A woman who has 'a very poor record in relation to dishonesty' has been given a suspended sentence at Derry Magistrate's Court today for theft.

Margaret Lisa Stokes (30) of Lawrence Hill in Derry appeared charged with the theft of goods from a shop on April 29 2021.

The court heard that security in the Strand Road shop noticed the defendant and a man had lifted a number of items and we're attempting to leave the store. 

The security man stopped the pair but then allowed them to leave due 'to a fear of violence'.

CCTV was viewed and the defendant was identified and the stolen goods were valued at £140.

When she was interviewed she accepted it was her and said she was 'ashamed' of her actions.

District Judge Oonagh Mullen said 'this woman isn't going to stop'.

Defence solicitor Seamus Quigley said that she had stopped as the key to the case was that it occurred over two years ago. 

He said that it was not clear why the case took so long to be dealt with but added that if it had been dealt with along with other cases she had been facing she would not have received 'one day longer'.

The solicitor said that the offending was to feed a drug habit but the defendant had cleaned up her act. 

Stokes was given a suspended sentence of 3 months suspended for 12 months and ordered to pay £140 in compensation.