Local woman sentenced for theft while on prison release

An Athlone woman has been jailed for stealing handbags from TK Maxx while she was on temporary release from prison in February.

Jessica Gaffey (43), of no fixed abode in Athlone, appeared in custody before Judge Bernadette Owens at Athlone District Court on Wednesday, April 1, where she pleaded guilty to the charges.

The court heard how, on February 7 last, Ms Gaffey entered TK Maxx at Athlone Town Centre, selected three handbags and passed all points of payment without paying. The property was not recovered.

The state withdrew a charge of handling the stolen handbags on the same date at Abbey Road, Athlone.

A day earlier, on February 6, she stole three ladies’ tops worth €36 from Dunnes Stores, Montree, Athlone.

Ms Gaffey is currently serving a 14-month sentence with a release date of July this year.

“She has a significant number of previous convictions, but with a significant gap of no offending,” said solicitor Mark Cooney, on behalf of Ms Gaffey.

“Over the last three years, she fell back into criminal convictions and addictions and has been in a cycle of getting out of prison and reoffending for the last three years,” he said.

Judge Owens noted the guilty plea but said there was “a significant aggravating factor in that she committed these offences while on temporary release”.

On the charge of theft from TK Maxx, she convicted Ms Gaffey and sentenced her to three-months imprisonment to commence at the lawful termination of the sentence currently being served.

A consecutive sentence of four months was imposed on the charge of theft from Dunnes Stores, and suspended for 12 months.

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