Courts / Meath / Report
Purse lifter jailed for series of 'sly' thefts
Summary
Vasile Lazar, 52, a Romanian national, was sentenced to two years in prison for eight counts of theft and one attempted robbery. Between November 2022 and January 2023, he stole €9,745 from victims in Donaghmeade, Swords, Artane, Bettystown and Mullingar. He targeted shoppers in Dunnes Stores and other retail outlets, taking purses, debit cards and withdrawing cash from ATMs. He also used stolen debit cards to withdraw €1,600 and to pay €650 to a Cyprus company via Google Pay. Lazar admitted the thefts, expressed remorse, and claimed desperation after a personal breakdown. He has no prior convictions in Ireland but has convictions in the UK, Austria and Italy. The judge noted aggravating factors such as the amount stolen and victim impact, but also considered his guilty plea and remorse. The sentence is back‑dated to his arrest.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Purse lifter jailed for series of 'sly' thefts. Charges or matters: eight counts of theft on dates between November 22, 2022 and January 24 this year at locations including Donaghmeade, Swords, Artane, Bettystown Co Meath, and Mullingar, Co Westmeath. Procedural stage: sentence
When:
- November 22, 2022 Other
- January 24 Other
- January 19 Hearing Or Sentence
- December 1 Hearing Or Sentence
- December 2 Incident
- 2023-10-07 Publication
Case subjects
Defendant
Charges: eight counts of theft on dates between November 22, 2022 and January 24 this year at locations including Donaghmeade, Swords, Artane, Bettystown Co Meath, and Mullingar, Co Westmeath (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: It was also accepted by the garda that the High Court has ordered that Lazar be surrendered to the Italian authorities when he is no longer required to serve a sentence here.
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