Shoplifters who travelled around the State were a cancer on society like "locusts descending on small towns", said Judge Frank O'Donnell when he imposed a three-year suspended sentence on Mary Smith (51), of Casino Park, Marino, Dublin.
Smith told gardai she was being paid £80 to keep stolen property overnight for someone she was afraid to name. Mr Ross Maguire, defending, said his client's patio had been smashed since her arrest on this matter last year. She was really terrified of naming the person who pressured her into this crime.
Sgt Fergus Dwyer told Judge O'Donnell Smith had some of the goods wrapped up as Christmas presents when her house was searched. The items found had a total value of almost £1,200 and had been stolen from shops in Kilkenny, Castlebar and Carrickmacross.
Smith pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to handling stolen designer clothes, cosmetics, electrical and communication equipment, and Waterford crystal on December 20th, 1996. She had no previous convictions.
Judge O'Donnell said he knew she was not the real culprit but was concerned that threats of the kind referred to by Sgt Dwyer might make her do it again. He didn't accept her claim of just keeping the stolen property overnight and normally anyone who handled stolen property had to go to jail.