Before Sligo Circuit Court was Agnes McGee with an address in Craigavon, Northern Ireland who pleaded guilty to a charge of theft and with allowing herself to be carried in a stolen vehicle on May 4th 2017.

Mr Leo Mulrooney BL (prosecuting) with Ms Elisa McHugh, State Solicitor outlined with Garda Gary Conneely how the keys to a 2005 Mitsubishi Spacestar car were stolen from a bag belonging to a woman working in the Chamber of Commerce office in Tubbercurry.

At 2.50pm the owner of Beauty Boutique on Teeling Street. Carol Molloy heard the door of her premises open. The salon was located another shop.

The owner went to check and saw the door being held open by the defendant who said, ‘come one.’ A man, Luke Wall, was then seen running from the counter.

Ms Molloy followed the two who ran up the street and then got into the Spacestar with McGee in the passenger seat.

Ms Molloy banged on the bonnet of the car but the driver accelerated and drove off. Ms Molloy had moved out of the way out of fear of being run over. Ms Molloy went back and checked the till and saw that €220 was missing. A purse had also been talken from her bag which contained €430.

Garda Michael Cunningham arrived and the car’s registration was circulated.

Sunbsequently, Garda John Dolan of the Regional Support Unit based in Ballyshannon saw the car at a filling statiion in Ballinacarrow from which it exited as he approached.

The car drove in the direction of Sligo overaking two cars along a continuous white line along a blind bend at Cloonacurra. The speed was in excess of 100kph. The car travelled in the direction of Collooney before it came to stop and then reversed, impacting with the Garda car.

The stolen car then went off in the direction of Coolaney where it again reveresed in the direction of the Garda vehicle. Garda Dolan was able to reverse in time to avoid another collision.

In Coolaney the car stopped nad both occupants fled, jumping over a fence and running.

A number of Gardaí gave chase and Garda Eamon McDonnell caught up with both under a bridge near a river. He detained the two of them.

Mr Mulrooney said the defendant had eight previous convictions in the Republic of Ireland and 25 in Northern Ireland. They ranged from trespass, theft, criminal damage, burglary, unauthorised taking and assault including assault on police officer and drugs offences.

A Victim Impact Statement from Ms Molloy was read to the court in which she stated she had been deeply traumatised by the incident. The loss of revenue was significant for her business. She had to buy a doorbell and also now locks her door.

In reply to Judge Keenan Johnson, Garda Conneely said the stolen money had been returned to the owner having been found in the possession of Wall, who received a five year jail term at a previous court with 18 months suspended.

Damage amounting to €7506 had been caused to the Garda’s Audi patrol car.

In reply to Mr Eugene Deering BL (defending), instructed by Mr Tom MacSharry, solicitor, Garda Conneely agreed that McGee, who would have been 21 at the time,would have been vulnerable and impressionable.

Mr Deering said that after the incident, the defendant cut all contact with Wall.

The Garda told Mr Deering that he did recall while in custody that the duo were heroin addicts. He accepted that as a result of her drug taking the defendant’s memory of what happened was impaired.Garda Conneely agreed that all of the driving was done by Wall.

Mr Deering suggested that the defendant was tagging along with Mr Wall in the matter though he agreed with Judge Johnson that she had taken an active part in the theft.

Mr Deering pleaded that the defendant was a mother of two with mental health issues and was not working.

In evidence, McGee said she had been manipulated into a situation in which she couldn’t get out of. She said she didn’t have a criminal record until she met Wall. Mr Deering asked the defendant what had caused all her offending and she replied, “bad choices.”

“I was getting used in a way,” she added. She apologised for her behaviour and said her mental health had deteriorated two years ago and was admitted for treatment which lasted six weeks. She was taking medication now and also suffered from a skin condition.

In response to Judge Johnson, she accepted that on February 3rd 2023 she was jailed for three months at Laganside Court for an assault on a police officer. She said she did not leave the house now. She lived in Craigavon with her partner. Her two children were adopted.

She stressed that she hadn’t done anything wrong since she met her new partner. She was in constant contact with the the mental health services in Northern Ireland.

“Have you learned your lesson?” – Mr Deering.

“I have. I don’t want to end up back in jail” – defendant.

Mr Deering, who said that the Garda had been very fair in his evidence, pleaded that the defendant’s relationship with Mr Wall had brought a lot of trouble int her life.

“She has not been in trouble in the past two years and now has a steadying influence in her life.

“She is willing to look at compensation over a period of time,” said Mr Deering.

Judge Johnson said Mr Wall seems to have been much more culpable than the defendant.However, there was no doubt but she was clearly and actively involved in the burglary. She seemed to have a chronic and dire drug addiction so much so her two children had been adopted which must have been a massive blow and loss to her.

The Judge said it did seem she was determined to get on the road to rehabilitation and had met a new partner.

“It seems clear that due to her addictions and mental health difficulties along with the malign influence of Mr Wall she fell into offending ways.”

The Judge imposed a sentence of four years but he said he was satisfied she seemed determined to turn her life around and society would be best served by suspending this term. He ordered McGee to enter a bond to keep the peace and be of good behaviour for eight years, return to reside in Northern Ireland and only come to the Republic for visits and to pay €1,000 within six months to Ms Molloy. The defendant must also stay off drugs and continue to engage with the drug and mental health services.