SHOP owners who provide valuable employment had to be protected from the actions of a woman with 50 theft convictions coming back to court with more shoplifting charges.

Judge Olann Kelleher said a jail term had to be imposed on Jennifer Rodgers, 37, who was living at Cork Simon Community.

Sergeant Gearóid Davis outlined the background to recent thefts carried out by the defendant at stores around Cork city.

On November 30, gardaí encountered Jennifer Rodgers at St Peter and St Paul’s Place; she was carrying two bags containing over €100 worth of clothing stolen from Dealz on Grand Parade.

“Asked did she have a receipt, she said she did not. She then told gardaí, ‘Go away and f*** off, have ye nothing better to do?’ She later admitted she took the property from Dealz,” Sgt Davis said.

Garda Frances O’Riordan met the defendant on November 19  after she had stolen a bottle of whiskey from Supervalu in Merchants Quay.

Garda Majella O’Sullivan encountered the same woman at Dyke Parade on July 1 when she was intoxicated to such an extent that she was a danger to herself or others.

In the early hours of October 18 at Lower Oliver Plunkett Street, she was causing a nuisance and ignoring directions from gardaí to leave the area. She had stolen a bottle of vodka earlier.

And , on January 9, 2021 she stole alcohol, again at Tesco on Paul Street.

Sgt Davis said that of her 79 previous convictions, 50 were for theft, 12 were for being drunk and a danger, and four were for being threatening.

Frank Buttimer said the defendant had been trying over the last 12 months to rehabilitate.

Judge Kelleher said: “People who run businesses and provide employment in the city have to be protected from this kind of behaviour. 

"She has 50 previous convictions for theft. Businesses have no chance of surviving in the face of this. She has to get her own house in order.”

The judge sentenced Jennifer Rodgers to six months in prison.