Woman in designer stealing spree

A YOUNG woman stole over €6,500 of designer items from Dublin’s Brown Thomas over a two-week period – and then sold them on the street for ‘relatively small money’, a court has heard.

Ellavita Flynn, 24, went into the store on Dublin’s Grafton Street, selected items and took them without paying on four occasions during December 2017 and early January 2018. She was caught leaving the shop on the last occasion with a €2,280 Louis Vuitton handbag. This was the only item recovered.

Detective Garda Joseph Heaphy told Ronan Kennedy BL, prosecuting, that Brown Thomas had high-quality CCTV footage of Flynn taking the items. He said €4,249 worth of items were not recovered and Flynn had sold these on the street for ‘relatively small money’. When interviewed about the thefts, Flynn said she was sorry. The court heard she was of no fixed abode at the time.

Flynn, of Deerpark Lodge, Tallaght, Dublin, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to stealing a €395 Michael Kors watch, a €2,400 Prada handbag, a €1,490 Gucci handbag and the Louis Vuitton handbag at Brown Thomas between December 19, 2017, and January 2, 2018.

Her three previous convictions are for thefts, all dealt with at District Court level.

Detective Garda Heaphy agreed with Andrew King BL, defending, that the offending was opportunistic and that Flynn had had addiction issues. Mr King submitted to Judge Elma Sheahan that his client had been in care as a young teenager and began abusing substances aged 18.

He said this arose as a result of her socialising with ‘undesirable peers’.

Counsel said Flynn was volunteering in a charity shop in order to gain employment experience, but had ambitions to be a chef. He said his client was more mature now and in a different place in her life.

Judge Sheahan adjourned the matter for six months so Flynn can prove she is addressing her drug issues and gaining employment training. She remanded Flynn on continuing bail until July next.