Couple who came to Cork on the promise of employment ended up begging on the streets

A couple who came to Cork on the promise of employment ended up begging on the streets and collecting plastic bottles to raise money to buy food.

That was the scenario described by defence solicitor Eddie Burke when he represented 33-year-old Gabriela Iftimia, of no fixed address, at Cork District Court.

Ms Iftimia pleaded guilty to three counts of obstructing the free passage of pedestrians by begging in Cork city at Paul St, Oliver Plunkett St, and Patrick St, on dates from April 30 last year to Tuesday, July 29, this year.

She had four previous convictions from Drogheda District Court for the same offence committed on dates between October 2022 and April 2023.

She was fined for those offences.

Mr Burke said she and her husband have children back in Romania, and had come to Ireland for employment which had not materialised. 

“They have been collecting plastic bottles to raise money to try and feed themselves,” Mr Burke said.

The defence solicitor said the defendant planned to return to her children in Romania on August 20.

Judge Mary Dorgan said that she would adjourn the matter of sentencing until September 16 for evidence of a flight ticket, indicating that the defendant had left the jurisdiction and had returned to Romania.