Woman who claimed to suffer from kleptomania is jailed for Wicklow thefts
The Wicklow PeopleA Wicklow woman who claimed she was diagnosed with kleptomania has been jailed for stealing hundreds of euros worth of goods from shops in three Wicklow towns
Karen O’Callaghan (56), with an address in Bray, Co Wicklow, appeared at a sitting of Bray District Court for sentencing.
Garda Patrick Beere told the court that the defendant was observed failing to pay for groceries valued at €20 from a store in Bray.
On the second occasion, Ms O’Callaghan stole groceries worth €133.34 from Aldi in Rathnew.
The court heard that Ms O’Callaghan also stole €149 worth of goods from Superdrug in the Bridgewater Shopping Centre, Arklow.
The court heard Ms O’Callaghan has 63 previous convictions, the majority of which relate to theft.
Solicitor for Ms O’Callaghan, Joe Maguire, stated that his client’s stealing began after the tragic murder of her husband in the late 1990s.
“Ms O’Callaghan came to crime quite late in life,” said Mr Maguire.
Sergeant Mick Cannavan noted that her first conviction was in 2000 for theft.
However, Mr Maguire told the court previously that his client has been diagnosed as a kleptomaniac.
A kleptomaniac is someone who has a psychological compulsion to steal items they often do not need or could easily afford.
A probation report handed into the court stated that the accused is not a kleptomaniac and is at a medium to high risk of reoffending.
Before sentencing, Judge David Kennedy remarked that “you can’t keep going into shops and robbing” before sentencing her to 10 months’ imprisonment, with the final six months suspended on one theft charge.
The remaining matters were taken into consideration.