Heavily-pregnant woman refused bail at Derry Magistrates Court

A heavily-pregnant woman accused of robbing a pensioner was today refused bail at Derry Magistrates Court.

Lamita Mhai and another woman, Terca Rosta, appeared at the local court this morning accusing of stealing money from an 86-year-old woman in Derry last Friday.

The court was told that Mhai, who like her co-accused is originally from Romania, is 40 weeks pregnant and is over her due date.

A police officer said they received a report on Friday that two elderly women had been approached by two women in the car park of the Tesco store at Lisnagelvin in Derry.

One of the women asked the pensioners if they had change of a £2 coin for use in a telephone.

The other woman distracted the other pensioner by taking her to a nearby trolley bay.

The court was then told that the other woman rummaged through the 86-year-old's purse, before handing it back to her.

It was only later that the pensioner realised that £140 had been taken from her purse.

She then contacted the police.

The officer told the court that the pensioner then saw the same two women outside St Columb's Cathedral on Sunday.

She said they approached a friend of her's and again asked her for change of a £2 coin.

Police were alerted and the two women were arrested a short time later.

Rosta (23), of Mill Road in Letterkenny, and Mhai (21), from Mill Road in Newtowncunningham, both deny the charges but were refused bail and will appear again at the court on April 9.