Woman conned dementia sufferer

A MOTHER of three who conned her way into a dementia sufferer’s home by pretending she was an acquaintance has been jailed for three years for burglary.

Margaret Cawley, 27, knocked at the house with a co-accused woman and a child and gained access by pretending she knew the 84-year-old female resident.

The court heard that the elderly woman’s sister, who was aged 75, had been visiting and opened the door to Cawley.

Cawley and her co-accused went into the sitting room, spoke to the home owner as if they knew her and then offered to make tea. As Cawley went into the kitchen, she stole the 84-yearold woman’s handbag and the co-accused took the sister’s bag, the court heard. The pair then ran out the door along with the child, it was heard.

Cawley, of Daletree Place, Ballycullen, Dublin, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to trespass and theft at Newcastle Manor Rise, Newcastle, Dublin, on March 14, 2017.

She has 17 previous convictions for burglary and is currently serving a 22-month sentence. Her coaccused is still before the courts and cannot be named.

Garda Stephen Broderick told Fiona McGowan BL, prosecuting, that Cawley and her coaccused fled in a Nissan Almera car. Neighbours witnessed the car speeding off and the 75-yearold woman in distress.

Other witnesses saw two bags being thrown from this vehicle on the Nangor Road, near Baldonnel, Dublin. Garda Broderick said he tracked down the Nissan, driven by Cawley, and found a walking stick taken from the elderly woman’s home in the passenger footwell.

The bags and their contents, including disabled parking discs, prescriptions and bank, social welfare and medical cards, were all recovered. A cash amount of €100 had been taken.

Garda Broderick said the incident has impacted both elderly victims and that they were now more anxious being alone.

James Dwyer BL, defending, told Judge Martin Nolan that his client had had an unhappy childhood with time spent in women’s refuge centres. Judge Nolan imposed a three-year jail term, noting that Cawley must have known the home owner’s age and that a certain amount of cunning was used in the offence.