Pharmacy thief

Two consecutive three-month prison sentences were given at Gorey District Court last week to a 28-year-old woman who stole over €600 of goods from Boots in Gorey.

Nina Comerford of 217 Ballyfermot Road, Ballyfermot, Dublin 10, stole over €200 of perfume and aftershave Boots in Gorey on November 9, 2015, and returned on December 3 and stole seven fragrance gift sets worth €383.38, and then got on a bus. This property was recovered. She was back in Boots in Gorey on January 17, 2016, and stole a perfume set worth €41.25.

She had 75 previous convictions including 36 for theft.

Her barrister said she’s currently in prison, is making good progress, and is due for release in December. He said when she’s not using drugs, she doesn’t come to garda attention, and asked the judge not to extend her time in prison.

‘What does she say to Boots, who are trying to make a living?’ asked Judge O’Neill. The barrister said she’s ashamed, comes from a good family, and is a mother of three.

‘This is her fourteenth appearance in court. There has been no apology, and no compensation. She doesn’t care,’ replied the judge. ‘There are people working for companies like Boots and because of losses from people like Ms Comerford, others lose their jobs.’

She said that while she had sympathy for the defendant, she presumed the guilty plea was due to the fact that she’s serving a sentence, and the barrister was asking her to ‘roll this in, so to speak.’

She imposed two three-month sentences, to run consecutively.