A 24-year-old woman who used a child during a daring theft in which she and a companion wheeled two trolleys of goods worth €1,400 out of an Ashbourne store without paying has had a prison sentence increased. Rahella Lingurar, Maelruans, Townspark, Tallaght was before Trim Circuit Court on charges of stealing goods from Choice, Ashbourne on 22 nd February last year.
The court was told that Gardai received a report from Choice store management of people acting suspiciously. There were reports of two women going into the store by using the child to hold open the electronic “entrance only” gates and they wheeled out two trolleys full of goods.
Judge John Martin was told the defendant had 21 previous convictions. Her last conviction was in 2020 when she was given a three-month prison sentence suspended for 12 months. Defending barrister Paul Noctor told the court that his client was in a long-term relationship with a partner. She had fully engaged with the Probation Service over her offending and she was also engaged with the Intreo service in Blanchardstown. She was now working in Blanchardstown. “She has shown deep remorse and she assures me she will not offend again”, he said. His client was also willing to pay compensation.
Judge Martin said defendant showed no regard for the law. From 2017 she had committed one theft after another. Her attitude was that “I can’t afford it so I’’ take it”. He said there were many people in the country who could not afford something but they did not go on to steal it. She had also used a young child in her criminality. He dismissed her appeal against sentence and increased her four- month prison sentence to nine months.
