No jail for woman who robbed homeless man after boyfriend’s killing
A 23-YEAR-OLD woman who “could not have got further into the sewer” on the night she robbed a homeless man, has had her four-year sentence completely suspended as she has since become a mother.
Yasmin Stephens, of Albert College Avenue, Glasnevin, Dublin, was originally before the Central Criminal Court, charged with murdering her 33-year-old boyfriend in the capital, three-and-a-half years ago.
She pleaded not guilty to murdering Kieran Farrelly at Killarney Court, Killarney Street, near Portland Row, on October 26, 2014.
She was due to go on trial in April. However, she succeeded in having the charge dismissed.
Stephens was then arraigned on the second count on the indictment, which concerned the robbery of the homeless man in the early hours of the following morning.
She pleaded guilty to robbing Hugh Gildea of a mobile phone, wrist watch and €520 in cash on Mabbot Lane in the city.
The judge was shown CCTV footage of the attack, which lasted more than 20 minutes, and heard the statements of Mr Gildea and two other witnesses.
Her boyfriend’s murderer, Sean Ducque, inflicted all the violence, while Stephens rifled through the victim’s pockets and bags between beatings.
She threatened him and demanded the pin for his bank cards.
Ducque was last year sentenced to life in prison for Mr Farrelly’s murder. He also received a three-year sentence for the robbery of Mr Gildea.
Mr Garnet Orange SC, defending, said his client had been 19 and a heroin addict at the time. She had been living on the streets with her boyfriend.
He said that Stephens came from a good family, lived with her mother and grandparents and now had a baby son.
Mr Justice Michael White told Stephens that she “couldn’t have got further into the sewer or the gutter than you did that night.
“You witnessed your boyfriend’s murder and you kept company with the murderer afterwards and committed a robbery of a homeless man.”
He told her that he would impose a substantial sentence but suspend it, describing this as ‘one-last chance’.
However, he said that if she breached any conditions, he would impose the entire sentence.
He then sentenced her to four years in prison for her crime and suspended it for those four years on her own bond of €100.
He said Stephens must keep the peace and be of good behaviour, and continue to engage with treatment.
She said she understood, was willing to comply with the conditions and she entered the bond.
Mr Justice White said the court had been faced with a difficult dilemma.
“The offence was serious enough that it merited a prison sentence,” he said.
“But Ms Stephens is now the mother of a young child and that’s the primary concern.”