This article is from page 2 of the 2013-12-17 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 2 JPG
A WOMAN who claims she has fallen into debt to moneylenders in Ennis has told a Judge she will have to pay the money back from her social welfare payments.
The woman, who is facing a possible 18 month prison sentence for a string of shoplifting offences, says she owes € 1,000 to a moneylender.
At Ennis District Court on Thursday, the 19-year-old woman told Judge Patrick Durcan the moneylender will be looking for her.
Asked by Judge Durcan how she would re-pay the money, the woman said, “I’ll have to give them money out of my dole.”
Her solicitor Tara Godfrey said, “I’ve done what I can to get her to make a statement but she won’t”.
Ms Godfrey said the woman fell into debt because of her cannabis addiction.
“This is not like AIB or the Bank of Ireland, the terms are quite severe. My client was afraid to be at liberty,” she added.
Earlier this year, the teenager admitted stealing € 1,300 worth of goods from Clare businesses in an 11-month shoplifting spree.
She pleaded guilty to 14 thefts from shops and pharmacies in Ennis and Clarecastle between November 2012 and September 2013.
Inspector Tom Kennedy said the woman had committed a high number of thefts. “We’re at the sentencing stage and where to go next is a big deal. “I would be delighted to see her rehabilitate herself,” added Insp Kennedy.
The court heard the woman’s father and mother are both dead and her younger brother died when he was just three years old.
The woman was described in court as a “vulnerable person at the end of her tether, financially speaking”. The court heard she was a victim of neglect as a child.
After reading a Probation Report on the woman’s family history and apparent troubles with moneylend- ers, Judge Durcan said,
“In my time as a judge this is one of the saddest reports I have read.”
Judge Durcan told the woman she is facing between 15 and 18 months in prison.
He said if the woman shows a genuine willingness to engage with the Probation Services, he would put the matter off further.
Judge Durcan remanded the woman in custody, on consent, to appear again at Ennis District Court on January 8, 2014.
Earlier this month, gardaí launched a massive operation against suspected illegal money lending in Clare. Gardaí have urged anyone affected by money lending to contact them.