A mother of five has been sentenced to 3 months in jail over a shoplifting offence that occurred in Co Monaghan.
36 year old Elena Mihai with an address of 9 Swanbrook Park, Navan Co Meath was convicted for 3 months on both charges that she faced which will run consecutively with an appeal recognisance set at €400 cash.
The charges relate to Tuesday of this week where Ms Mihai stole groceries to the value of €60.44 from Centra on the Castleblayney Road Ballybay contrary to Section 4 of the Criminal Justice (Theft and Fraud Offences) Act 2001.
The other charge relates to when she was in the possession of a stitched undergarment designed to conceal property with the intention that it be used in the course of the theft. Ms Mihai has had four previous convictions for similar theft charges since 2012.
Her solicitor, Roisin Courtney asked Judge Finnegan not to jail the mother of five, adding that she worked in Navan as a part-time cleaner and that an early guilty plea was entered in this case. Judge Finnegan said it was evident that she came to Co Monaghan to rob, he addressed the accused saying;" You came here to rob, so you did and for no other reason.
Ms Mihai said she was very sorry, to this reply Judge Finnegan said, "You are very sorry, sorry you got caught. You drove up from Navan with one purpose and one purpose only.
Gardai say believe the woman along with her daughter were driven to Ballybay from Navan that day. Judge Finnegan remarked that he didn't believe a suspended sentence was appropriate in this instance.
Her 21 year old daughter, Narcissa Ianiu with an address at Miranda, Golf Road, Rush, Dublin was also in front of Judge Finnegan at Monaghan District Court. She received 4 months suspended for 24 months on condition that she did not reoffend with recognisance own bond of €100 cash.
She appeared in relation to the same charges as her mother along with an alleged theft charge from a pharmacy in Ballybay which was struck out. Judge Finnegan told the 21-year-old that he hoped she learned her lesson and that she didn't continue with committing thefts like her mother had done.
