Courts / Dublin / Report

Prescription pad thief with 71 priors remanded on bail

Date
2024-11-19
Stage
Sentence
Primary locality
Dublin
County
Dublin

Summary

Kym Dunleavy, 50, of St Josephs Place, Dublin 7, pleaded guilty in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to using a false medical prescription between November 2018 and April 2019. She had taken a prescription pad from Beaumont Hospital and forged prescriptions for sleeping tablets. Gardaí discovered the pad after a pharmacy raised concerns about a false prescription. CCTV footage identified Dunleavy, and a warrant led to the pad being found under a mattress at her home. The pharmacist confirmed the pad was legitimate but the prescriptions were forgeries. Dunleavy claimed she used the forged prescriptions to obtain more tablets to manage anxiety and nightmares. She has 71 prior convictions, mainly theft and fraud. The court remanded her on bail pending sentencing, with a Probation Service report due on 31 March. The judge noted her high risk of re‑offending and lack of engagement with psychiatric services.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Prescription pad thief with 71 priors remanded on bail. Charges or matters: multiple charges of using a false instrument, a medical prescription which she knew to be false, on various dates between November 2018 and April 2019. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

Why: She said she had approached her GP because the one sleeping tablet she had previously been prescribed was not enough to deal with her anxiety. CNI source report

Case subjects

Kym Dunleavy

Defendant

Charges: multiple charges of using a false instrument, a medical prescription which she knew to be false, on various dates between November 2018 and April 2019 (Admitted)

Plea: Guilty

Outcome: Judge Crowe noted that Dunleavy has not followed through on referrals to psychiatric services nor has she properly engaged with the Probation Service, even though the service has indicated that Dunleavy would benefit from probation supervision. "The matter lies squarely with Ms Dunleavy. I am not giving her any guarantees," Judge Crowe said, before she told Mr Spencer to impress on his client that she is "considerably at peril". "She deserves the chance to put her best foot forward," the judge said before she remanded Dunleavy on bail to March 31 next for sentence.; Photo: Collins) A woman who took a prescription pad from a Dublin hospital and later used it to make fake prescriptions for sleeping tablets has been remanded on bail pending sentence.

Places mentioned

Facility
  • Dublin
  • Dublin hospital
  • Beaumont Hospital
Address Area
  • St Josephs Place
Secondary Mention
Court Venue
  • Dublin
  • Dublin Circuit Criminal Court

Topics

Fraud Stage Sentence Theft

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Read the original CNI report

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