Mystery woman ‘is not entitled to asylum claim’

WOMAN ARRESTED FOR SHOPLIFTING IS BELIEVED TO BE FROM S. AFRICA

A young African woman arrested for stealing €10 worth of make-up from Penneys in Dundalk is ‘not entitled to claim asylum’ in Ireland because she landed in Holland first, a judge has said.

The woman, who calls herself Rosie Peterson and who is, she told Gardai, 25 with no fixed abode, was before Dundalk District Court last week charged with theft and not having proper documents. She had previously been remanded in custody for Gardai to establish her identity for sure, and Judge John Coughlan was previously told that Interpol were assisting Irish officers with their efforts.

Last week, Sgt. Fintain McGroder said Gardai are still trying to find out who she is, as she had also given them another name - Sarah Imaragbe. The sergeant said the defendant ‘doesn’t have status here’ though Gardai are aware she has applied for asylum and believe she is from South Africa.

He said Gardai needed more time to establish her exact identity and fingerprints have been taken.

Solicitor Paula Tiernan said these matters had been heard previously in Drogheda but Judge Coughlan wanted to know ‘ how did she get into Ireland?’ He said: ‘Ask her now, how did she come to Ireland?’

The judge added: ‘ She is not entitled to apply for asylum in Ireland if she landed somewhere else in the EU first. I want to know everything there is to know. She is not entitled to asylum here.

‘She better start talking, I want to know who she is as well’.

After a short adjournment, Ms Tiernan said her client had told her she had arrived to Ireland from Holland and the defendant has been in contact with authorities here. Peterson is from Nigeria, Ms Tiernan said, and her father has sent her birth certificate to Ireland and she is waiting for that to arrive in the post.

In addition, the solicitor said, the woman had been in custody for a number of days last month when the case was first listed and then she had been given bail. Ms Tiernan said Peterson wants to plead guilty, but Judge Coughlan said: ‘We know nothing about her’.

The solicitor argued that the defendant has sought asylum in Ireland and is currently being housed in Galway. She has been given an identity card, but, the judge said: ‘ That is not worth the plastic it’s written on’.

Judge Coughlan adjourned the case to July 26, with the defendant remanded on continuing bail, for her identity to be established by Gardai.