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Jail for carer who stole from elderly lady during lockdown, sold heroin
Summary
Lisa O'Connor, 45, of St Brandon's, Crumlin, was sentenced to 18 months in prison for stealing almost €9,000 from an elderly woman she cared for during lockdown. She pleaded guilty to three theft charges covering 90 transactions made with the victim's bank card between March and July 2020. O'Connor also pleaded guilty to possessing over €7,000 worth of heroin for sale or supply, found in her home on 3 February 2021. The judge described her actions as a huge breach of trust, noting she had betrayed the family who had hired her privately after she lost a placement agency job. She had worked for the Downeys for nearly three years, earning €250 a week plus an additional €70 from the daughter. The 18‑month sentence applies to both the theft and drug offences, running concurrently.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Jail for carer who stole from elderly lady during lockdown, sold heroin. Charges or matters: three sample charges of theft representing 90 transactions made with the elderly woman's bank card on dates between March and July 2020; possessing over €7,000 worth of heroin for sale or supply at her home on February 3, 2021. Procedural stage: sentence
When:
- July 2020 Incident
- February 3, 2021 Incident
- September 2020 Other
- August 2020 Incident
- 2022-06-22 Publication
Case subjects
Defendant
Charges: three sample charges of theft representing 90 transactions made with the elderly woman's bank card on dates between March and July 2020; possessing over €7,000 worth of heroin for sale or supply at her home on February 3, 2021 (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: Passing sentence today, Judge Martin Nolan said O'Connor had taken advantage of a vulnerable, elderly person in what he described as a "huge breach of trust". Judge Nolan sentenced O'Connor to two sentences of 18 months each relating to the counts of theft and the drugs offence, both to run concurrently.
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