Judge tells prisoner she will probably be released immediately due to overcrowding
David Forsythe
A woman who was sentenced to 20 days in prison in lieu of paying four fines will “probably spend longer travelling to Limerick” than she will in prison due to overcrowding, according to the judge who sentenced her.
Lauren Salter (24), of Dun Larnach, Mallow, Co Cork, appeared before Judge Colm Roberts at a recent sitting of Mallow District Court.
Salter was charged with trespass and theft in relation to a number of incidents that occurred in 2022, to which she pleaded guilty.
Court presenter Sergeant Linda O’Leary said Salter and another person entered a vacant property through a window in the Spa Glen area of Mallow on June 16th, 2022. Inside the property they used a washing machine and also used electricity. They were spotted by a caretaker who took a photo of them and Salter was identified.
The court heard that Salter was also charged with stealing goods valued at €19 from Barry’s Menswear in Mallow and goods valued at €48.73 from Dealz on June 13th, 2022; goods valued at €100 from a local clothes store on June 15th, 2022, and goods valued at €1,055 from Aldi in Mallow on June 19th, 2022.
The court was told that Salter had six previous convictions, though none were for theft, but she was given the benefit of the Probation Act four times in relation to theft offences. The court heard that she also had €600 in outstanding fines relating to theft and possession of a knife.
Judge Roberts sentenced Salter to a total of 240 hours community service for the minor theft offences. For the trespass she was sentenced to five months in prison suspended for two years and for the Aldi theft she was sentenced to four months suspended for two years to run consecutively.
Salter said she would be unable to pay the four outstanding fines and was instead sentenced to five days in prison for each.
Judge Roberts said: “In reality she will probably spend longer travelling to Limerick than she will in prison,” he added, “she’s got community service and a suspended sentence, she can’t afford any more trouble.”
