Judge tells Cork woman with 239 previous convictions ‘she needs to stop offending’

A 32-year-old Cork woman with a large number of shoplifting convictions has been jailed again for her most recent crimes as the sentencing judge declared: “She needs to put this offending behind her — it has to stop.”

Julianne O’Farrell came before Cork District Court with 239 previous convictions — 79 of which were for theft — and was jailed for three months for further thefts.

Ms O’Farrell of Marble Hall Park, Ballinlough, was sentenced by Judge Mary Dorgan at Cork District Court.

She pleaded guilty to the shoplifting at Dunnes Stores, Ballincollig, County Cork, on June 16.

She also appeared at another sitting of the court where she pleaded guilty to a number of other thefts committed in December 2023 and January this year.

Shane Collins-Daly, solicitor, said that Ms Farrell was pleading guilty at the earliest opportunity.

Judge Dorgan imposed concurrent sentences of three months on each of the charges.

On December 20, 2023, she stole €160 worth of cosmetics from B-Perfect Cosmetics at Oliver Plunkett Street, Cork.

On January 13, at Self-Help Africa on North Main Street, she took clothing from a mannequin at the premises.

And on January 23, she stole cosmetics from Boots at Half Moon Street.