Woman took suitcase off train

A woman with 111 previous convictions is due to reappear before Athlone District Court in February to face a string of charges, including theft of a suitcase from a train, theft of fuel, drug driving, careless driving and driving without insurance.

Amanda Lynskey (45), of Dunlo Harbour, Ballinasloe, appeared before Judge Bernadette Owens, who heard evidence in relation to some of those charges.

Sergeant Paul McNally, prosecuting, outlined how on January 29, 2024, at Mulligan’s Filling Station, Athlone, the accused entered the four courts in a Skoda and proceeded to pump €20.63 of petrol. She then parked the vehicle and looked around the shop but failed to buy anything. She left the shop without paying for the fuel.

A further charge related to the theft of a suitcase from a train on April 16, 2024. Sgt McNally outlined how the injured party fell asleep on the train and, when she woke up, her suitcase was missing. Gardaí observed CCTV footage of the accused walking out of the station with a pink suitcase, before getting into a taxi. She told Gardaí she was “trying to help a lady”.

The total value of the contents was €2,095, with all contents having to be replaced, including a laptop, kindle, HP phone printer, jewellery, makeup, prescription medication, chargers, Skechers runners, clothing, and the suitcase itself.

Ms Lynksey has 111 previous convictions and Sgt McNally stated there will be more matters likely to appear before the court.

Solicitor Mark Cooney stated his client has spent some time in custody with respect to these matters and other matters. She has engaged with the Community Alcohol and Drugs Service, with psychiatric services and with probation services. She has one child, aged six.

“The suitcase was a particularly serious matter. She said she’d met a lady on the train with a buggy and children and tried to help her. The lady said ‘that’s my suitcase’, so she took it,” said Mr Cooney.

“But she kept the suitcase,” said Judge Owens.

Ms Lynksey explained that she was “looking for that lady” and, when challenged about getting into a taxi with the case, she added “I could see her walking down the road”, insisting she returned the suitcase to the woman.

“That all sounds implausible,” said Judge Owens, but she noted a guilty plea to taking the suitcase off the train and directed a probation report for February 25, 2026. She adjourned the case of petrol theft to the same date for penalty.

On that day, a hearing date will be fixed for a charge of drug driving, whereby it is alleged that, on October 11, 2023, at St Anne’s Terrace, Athlone, she was driving with 27.3ng cocaine per ml of blood, and 714mg of benzoylegione (cocaine) per ml of blood.

Also on that February date, she was instructed to provide documents for a charge of failure to produce an insurance certificate on October 11, 2023, at St Anne’s Terrace, and a charge of driving without insurance on February 22, 2024, at Battery Heights.

A hearing date will also be fixed in relation to a careless driving charge on January 10, 2024, to which she has pleaded not guilty. Finally, a charge of failure to appear in court while on bail will also be dealt with.

Ms Lynskey was remanded on continuing bail to February 25, 2026.

Funded by the Courts Reporting Scheme