'We want you to stay free of drugs': Cork woman pleads guilty after stealing from Brown Thomas

A woman walking along a street in Cork city felt it necessary to go behind a car to avoid another woman cleaning blood from a syringe as she approached her, a court has heard.

Sergeant John Kelleher outlined this incident at Cork District Court, where Ciara Murphy, aged 32, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to charges arising out of this incident and another one where she was caught stealing perfume at Brown Thomas.

“Just before 6pm on March 31, gardaí were responding to reports of drug users in the area,” said Sgt Kelleher.

“While approaching the scene, the accused was observed walking on Mary St with an uncapped syringe and she was cleaning the blood out of the syringe using saline water.

“Another woman was walking towards her and she appeared intimidated and stood behind a car to avoid her.

“Gardaí directed the accused to desist, and
directed her to leave the area.

“The accused capped the syringe and put it away, but then started shouting and cursing at gardaí, shouting: ‘I’ll walk wherever the f*** I want’. The accused was arrested,” said Sgt Kelleher.

She was charged with engaging in offensive conduct under the Public Order Act.

One week earlier, she had entered Brown Thomas, Patrick St, where she was observed by security staff concealing on her person a bottle of Hugo Boss perfume, valued at €158 and a bottle of Armani perfume, valued at €92.

She walked out of the store with the concealed items and was stopped outside by security. The stolen items were recovered and in re-saleable condition.

Solicitor Frank Buttimer said that in the latter incident, there was an element of coercion by another person and that, unusually, the defendant made no effort to disguise her actions.

He said that in relation to the Mary St incident, she would not have been the reason gardaí went to the scene in the first place and that she was a vulnerable person, not least due to a seriously injured arm, for which she requires ongoing medical intervention.

Judge Dorgan adjourned penalty to allow time for a probation report and said to the woman: “What we want for you is that you will stay free of drugs.”