Offaly woman (22) tells court she is 'older and wiser' and avoids jail

A BIRR woman at risk of being sent to jail told Tullamore District Court it would be unfair for her to be imprisoned.

Gardai re-entered suspended prison sentences which had previously been imposed on Lorraine Harty (22), High Street, Birr.

The court heard the re-entry could trigger the imposition of three sentences resulting in Ms Harty being sent to jail for seven months.

Judge Andrew Cody said the woman had 17 convictions for theft and having been given suspended sentences in 2023 she was back in court again in Nenagh for further thefts.

Judge Cody said Ms Harty was “not getting the picture” and said of the suspended sentences: “None of this seems to make any difference.”

Patrick Martin, solicitor for Ms Harty, said the thefts were at a relatively small level and the woman was now doing quite well.

The convictions had been amassed in a short period of time and she had also been affected by the death of her grandmother.

She had learned her lesson and was engaging well with the probation service. Mr Martin asked the court to consider if she would be suitable for further probation supervision.

Judge Cody said the offence which was triggering the imposition the suspended sentence was the theft of groceries worth €600.

“That's not a minor offence,” he said.

Ms Harty told the court it was February 2025 since her last theft convictions. “I'm not making any excuses for my actions, what I did was wrong. There is no doubt about that,” she said.

“I'm older and wiser now, I know I have to take full responsibility for what I did.”

She said after a “rocky start” she was now doing a lot better with the probation service.

“I think for me to serve a sentence now after all this time would be a bit unfair.”

Judge Cody did not activate the sentences and instead put the matter back to January 6 next.

(Funded by the Courts Reporting Scheme)