Enniscorthy woman ‘has hit rock bottom’

THREE MONTHS in jail for public order and shoplifting offences were prescribed for 37-year-old mother of four Martina Balfe from Templescoby.

Garda Sergeant Victor Isdell added up the charges being dealt with by Judge John Cheatle, to all of which the accused woman pleaded guilty.

The list ran to four of intoxication in public, seven of theft, two of failure to turn up for court sittings and one of failure to provide a breath specimen after arrest on suspicion of drink driving.

The list of offences considered by the court started in March of 2015 when Garda John Haley arrested her for her own safety when he found her staggering on to the public road in New Ross.

The final incident occurred on January 23 last month when gardaí were called after the defendant removed €18 worth of clothing from Penneys in Wexford without paying.

Garda Sergeant Victor Isdell reported that Ms Balfe had 15 previous convictions for theft and seven for being intoxicated in public. Solicitor Ed King said that his client came from a good background and that he had found her to be a nice person when sober.

She was the mother of four sons, he continued, all of them in care.

She worked in the past as a beautician but her career ended as she became addicted to alcohol and Valium.

‘This is her rock bottom,’ suggested Mr King who acknowledged that she was due to deal with another prosecution in the Circuit Court the same day.

He noted that Ms Balfe had already spent two nights in Dochas women’s prison where she shared a cell with a woman who had killed someone while drink driving.

‘I doubt that prison is the answer,’ suggested the solicitor but Judge Cheatle felt that a jail sentence was inevitable.

He imposed four fines of €80 each for theft and ruled that she should serve three months for shoplifting three bottles of drink from Dunnes Stores in Wexford.

The defendant served notice of intention to appeal the verdict.