Laois woman with 108 previous convictions ‘no stranger to this court’
Portlaoise District Court
A 39-YEAR-OLD woman with 108 previous convictions, of which 93 were for theft, was back before last week sitting of Portlaoise District Court charged with three counts of theft.
Theresa Conroy from Apartment 3 Hinds Square, Portlaoise pleaded guilty to the theft of washing detergents amounting to €160 from EuroGiant, Lyster Square, Portlaoise on 23 October and to the theft of food, drink and cosmetics from Dealz, Laois Shopping Centre, Portlaoise, valued at €26.46 on the same date.
She also pleaded guilty to the theft of food valued at €30.47 on 2 November from Lidl. James Fintan Lalor Abenue, Portlaoise.
Garda Sergeant JJ Kirby told the court that Ms Conroy had recently completed a 10-month sentence in prison.
Barrister David Nugent said that his 39-year-old client “is no stranger to this court.” He said that the defendant had suffered at the hands of addictions and deep trauma and that in the past nine-years had lost her brother, her father, her mother, another brother and her partner and hadn’t received much support from services to assist her deal with those issues.
Mr Nugent said: “She wants to break the circle of addiction. I’d ask that she’d be remanded in custody by consent to allow services to engage with her.
“She’s desperate to get to the genius of issues that attracting her to addiction. She had been living in a property that was invaded and was defecated all over and she was blamed for that. She now has a place of her own but needs a key support worker and a wrap-around service.” Judge Susan Fay noted that Ms Conroy was consenting to be remanded in custody for engagement with the probation services and adjourned the case back to Portlaoise District Court by video link on 11 December.
