Woman on theft spree jailed for ten months by Carlow District Court
Carlow Courthouse
A 24-YEAR-old woman who stole charity boxes twice from the same Carlow shop during a month-long spree of thefts across the town has been jailed for ten months. Tracy Doogue of no fixed address pleaded guilty at Carlow District Court to ten theft offences committed between 13 April and 31 May, with goods stolen to a total value of €1,047.71.
Solicitor Joe Farrell said that he was instructed by his client to enter a guilty plea in all matters.
The court heard that on 13 April at 5.53pm, gardaí received a report of the theft of a number of items to the value of €84.49 from Aldi on Hanover Road, Carlow town. Ms Doogue was identified by CCTV footage.
On 21 April at 2.10pm at Shaws department store on Tullow Street, the defendant took perfume and two bottles of Hugo Boss aftershave to the value of €116.58. No items were recovered and she was again identified by CCTV.
On 28 April at 8.50pm at Aldi in Graiguecullen, alcohol to the value of €90.98 was stolen. The defendant was identified by CCTV and no items were recovered.
On 2 May at 10.40am at Aldi in Graiguecullen, whiskey to the value of €22.49 was taken without payment, while at 11.15am the same day, gardaí received a report of alcohol and other items to the value of €150.44 stolen from Dunnes Stores in Graiguecullen. In both cases, Ms Doogue was identified by CCTV footage and no items were recovered.
On 3 May at 1.37pm, gardaí received a report of the theft of a charity box with contents valued at €100 from Hegarty’s Gala shop on Staplestown Road. Ms Doogue was identified by CCTV.
On 15 May, the theft of items to the value of €82.44 was reported at the Centra shop on Tullow Road. The items were not recovered.
On 27 May at 5.40pm at Shaws department store on Tullow Street, bottles of perfume to the value of €222.29 were stolen, while on 29 May at 4pm at Tesco in Fairgreen shopping centre two bottles of spirits to the value of €78 were taken. Ms Doogue was identified by CCTV in both instances.
On 31 May at 8.35pm, there was again a report of the theft of a charity box with contents valued at €100 from Hegarty’s Gala on Staplestown Road.
The court heard that Ms Doogue has 11 previous convictions, ten for theft offences. Her most recent conviction, on 12 February, was for theft, for which she received a ten-month suspended sentence on condition that she enter into a section 99 bond of €300 for 24 months and engage with the probation services.
In mitigation, Mr Farrell said it was a difficult situation for all involved – Ms Doogue, the court and retailers in Carlow town – but that other “associates” of Ms Doogue seemed to have been influencing her to carry out the thefts and that she was “being asked to get things (in exchange) for drugs”.
“There are what I would call other actors involved and she has gone from one actor to another and another. I have no doubt she is being used,” he said.
He explained that while the defendant had been granted bail in early June, she had breached her temporary release conditions and could not take up bail. She is currently on remand, serving a second sentence with an August release date.
Ms Doogue, who was present in court, addressed the judge directly in a quiet voice, asking to apologise and saying she has a problem with drugs but is trying to address it.
Judge Geraldine Carthy said: “The most aggravating factor – and Mr Farrell has identified this – is the recidivist behaviour and its impact on businesses in Carlow, ten in a very short period of time. Also, the most aggravating factor is the charity boxes, and no properties were recovered.”
She said she would take mitigating factors into account, adding that “it is a very difficult addiction that results in debt being accumulated and this offending behaviour”.
The judge said she was satisfied of Ms Doogue’s remorse, but the threshold of custody had been reached.
“The next question is what is the appropriate sentence? For the 27 May theft at Shaws, I will convict and sentence Ms Doogue to ten months in custody, dating back to 1 June 2026. Everything else is taken into consideration,” she said.
Judge Carthy said she would not invoke the section 99, but that she would go there if necessary.
“I genuinely, sincerely hope we won’t meet in these circumstances again,” she told the defendant.
