Supermarket crime spree sees single mum given eight months in prison
Dunnes Stores in Graiguecullen, Carlow
A 26-YEAR-OLD single mother has been sentenced to eight months in prison after admitting to a string of thefts from supermarkets across Carlow and Wicklow.
Gina Carroll, Alderborough Hall, Greystones, Co Wicklow pleaded guilty at Carlow District Court to four counts of theft, including a new charge, before Judge Geraldine Carthy.
The court heard that on 11 November at 8.15pm Garda Doyle received a report of a theft at Dunnes Stores, Carlow. Two females, one of whom was Ms Carroll, entered the supermarket and filled up two trolleys with drapery and grocery items to the value of €762. The property was retrieved by Dunnes security in resaleable condition. Both females were arrested and charged with theft.
On 19 August at 4.30pm, Garda Downey received a report of theft from Homesavers discount store in Wicklow town. Cleaning items and groceries worth €167.85 were taken from shelves, put into plastic bags, and taken without payment. CCTV identified Ms Carroll. No property was recovered in this case.
The court also heard that Garda Connors received a report of two females entering SuperValu supermarket in Tullow where meat and other groceries to the value of €832 were taken without payment. The two women, including the defendant, returned a few hours later with more trolleys at which point they were arrested. The €832 worth of groceries were not recovered.
Garda Connors also detailed that on 11 November, while being detained in relation to another alleged theft, Ms Carroll was identified from CCTV as having stolen meat and other groceries to the value of €70 from Centra in Rathvilly earlier in November.
The defendant has three previous convictions, none in relation to theft. One is a public order offence dating from 2021 and another is for possession of controlled drugs.
In mitigation, defending solicitor Mr Revell said that Ms Carroll was a single mother with two young children, the youngest of which is only 12 months’ old. He said: “As the sergeant pointed out, none of the previous are in relation to theft; this seems to be some sort of spree and thankfully most goods were recovered in a resaleable condition.”
Mr Revell put to the court that “she shouldn’t succumb to such temptation but at the time she had started to keep company with guys who pressured her and she found the pressure unbearable”.
He said Ms Carroll was refusing to name these people out of fear, adding: “You might see her, shivering here in fear; she has been in custody for eight or nine days – she is traumatised by this.”
He went on to say that such was the negative effect of the thefts and subsequent arrest that she was “inconsolable” and couldn’t compose herself when contacted to seek legal instruction.
“She assures me that she intends to keep away from this group of ne’er-do-wells, to devote herself to her children,” Mr Revell continued.
Judge Carthy interrupted to say: “I’ve never heard the expression ‘ne’er-do-wells’,” to which the defence solicitor replied: “Never do wells, bad people, judge. The term is somewhat archaic, like myself.”
He explained that the defendant didn’t have “a great income” and that she had written a letter for the judge to read. He handed it over, adding: “She would like to see the Big Man visit her children (this Christmas).”
Judge Carthy noted that Ms Carroll had pleaded guilty and took into account her letter and the fact that she had no previous conviction for theft.
“There is no doubt about it: there is a serious scale in respect of the amount of goods taken and there are other matters before a separate court. I hear that she had surrounded herself with not-so-nice people, but there is no doubt this merits a custodial sentence,” the judge said.
Ms Carroll was convicted and given an eight-month custodial sentence backdated to 12 November.
