Derry woman receives suspended sentence for selling stolen 'high value ring'
Heather Allison (31) of Shantallow Avenue in Derry admitted one charge of fraud by false representation that occurred on September 21 2020
A woman who found a 'high value ring' that has been stolen from a car and sold it in a local antique shop has received a suspended sentence at Derry Magistrate's Court.
Heather Allison (31) of Shantallow Avenue in Derry admitted one charge of fraud by false representation that occurred on September 21 2020.
The court was told that the ring was taken from a car and was of high value having been connected to a presentation from the Church of Ireland.
The ring was later recovered from a local antique shop where it was found that the owner had given Allison £160 for it.
Defence solicitor Seamus Quigley said that there was no suggestion that the defendant was involved in the theft.
He said it would be unlikely a woman of 31 with a clear record would start breaking into cars.
The solicitor said that Allison accepted she did not make any attempt to establish who owned the ring and she deeply regrets that.
District Judge Oonagh Mullan said the case was 'quite bizarre' and imposed a sentence of three months in prison suspended for 12 months and ordered her to pay £160 in compensation.