Offaly woman with shoplifting ‘compulsion’ gets suspended sentence
Failed to scan all items at Tesco in Birr but food was recovered and was still fit for sale, Tullamore District Court hears
A WOMAN has a shoplifting “compulsion”, a barrister told Tullamore District Court.
Defence counsel David Nugent was speaking after entering a plea of guilty on behalf of Kathleen Hutchinson (55), Ashbrook Drive, Birr who was accused of stealing food items valued at €41.93 on October 22 last at Tesco, Railway Road, Birr.
Judge Andrew Cody was told by Sergeant Justine Reilly that Ms Hutchinson did not scan all of the items she got in the store. The food was recovered and was resaleable.
Sergeant Reilly said the woman had 40 previous convictions and in addition to committing public order offences, she had two for theft.
Suspended sentences of three months had been imposed on her for those two thefts in 2023. Ms Hutchinson received a suspended sentence for a public order offence in September this year.
Mr Nugent told Judge Andrew Cody that Ms Hutchinson, a woman who lived with her daughter, now needed to cop on and get a grip on what she was doing.
“There's a compulsion in her and sometimes she just can't help it,” he said.
Judge Cody imposed a three-month sentence for the theft but suspended it for two years on entry by the woman of a €100 bond.
He also ruled that consideration of the activation of the suspended sentence from September be considered at the District Court sitting on November 19.
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