Judge jails woman who walked out of Penney's with €873 trolley full of items

Gordon Deegan

A judge has jailed a mother of small children for 13 months for a 90-minute thieving spree in Ennis that included her walking out of Penney’s in Ennis with a trolley containing a €873 load of items.

At a sitting of Ennis District Court, Judge Marie Keane commented that Michelle Maughan (38) of Stonecourt, Drumbiggle, Ennis has “a horrendous record” after being told that the Ennis woman has 189 previous convictions that include 120 previous convictions for theft.

Judge Keane also stated that Ms Maughan suffers from “a chronic drug habit” after she was found in possession of a small amount of cocaine on the day.

Sgt Louis Moloney said that on August 3rd last at 3.41pm, Ms Maughan entered Penney’s store on Ennis’s Francis Street with a trolley and left a short time later with €873 worth of goods.

He said that at 4.55pm Michelle Maughan then went to Duffy’s Pharmacy in the same shopping centre and took cosmetics to the value of €96.55.

Sgt Moloney further stated that Ms Maughan then entered Tesco and stole items to the value of €21.95.

CCTV

He said that Ms Maughan was arrested and shortly after Garda Amy O’Connor conducted a search and recovered €273 worth of goods that were stolen from a Limerick Lifestyle store from at 11.35am on the same day.

Sgt Moloney said that CCTV gathered showed Ms Maughan taking items at Lifestyle in Limerick city. Sgt Moloney said that the goods from Penney’s, Duffy’s pharmacy and Lifestyle were recovered.

Judge Keane imposed a combined 13 month jail term on Ms Maughan - a six-month jail term for the Penney’s theft, a three-month jail term for the Duffy’s pharmacy theft to run consecutively and a four-month handling of stolen goods to also run consecutive to the other jail terms.

Solicitor for Ms Maughan, Tara Godfrey said that her client was suffering from mental health issues at the time.

Ms Godfrey said that on the day Ms Maughan “was confused and very upset and very badly mentally ill”.

Ms Maughan said she had been released from Limerick prison and through Probation Service supervision, they got her a job in a local hair salon in Ennis sweeping up hair on the floor.

Ms Godfrey said that Ms Maughan carried out this work and went to the Tesco shopping centre.

She said that Ms Maughan “thought she hadn’t been stealing as she had not left the front door of Tesco complex”. Ms Godfrey said that it was never her client’s intention to steal from any of these places.

Ms Godfrey said that before August 3rd Ms Maughan had not committed any offences since her prison release and was adhering to conditions aimed at her rehabilitation.

She said Ms Maughan apologises unreservedly for her actions and has pleaded guilty to the offences.