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Thursday, February 04, 2010
Addict targeted elderly women
A WEXFORD woman was jailed for 18 months at Wexford Circuit Criminal Court on Thursday having robbed one elderly woman and attempted to rob another in the middle of Wexford town at lunchtime.
The late Angeline Breen was enjoying a day’s shopping in Wexford when she was viciously pushed to the ground from behind, and left injured, as her female attacker fled with her purse.
Sharon O’Brien (31), 16 Ferndale Terrace, Wexford, was jailed for 18 months for the crime, with six months suspended on the condition she is of good behaviour.
O’Brien was also charged with the attempted robbery of another elderly lady, Lilly Neville, at Church Lane car park on the same day.
Detective Garda David Beale gave evidence that Lilly Neville (who as 64 at the time) was putting shopping in the boot of her car at 1:25p.m. when O’Brien approached her from behind and attempted to grab her handbag. Garda Beale said Ms. Neville’s step-sister was with her when O’Brien attacked.
“A struggle ensued and she managed to hang onto her handbag. The defendant said she had a syringe, threatening her with it.”
He said Ms. Neville did not suffer any injuries in the attack, but was left shaken after the incident.
O’Brien went to Crescent Quay car park in the centre of the town, where five minutes later she targeted Angeline Breen (who was 71 at the time), pushing her to the ground. Ms. Breen, (who was in town to get medication), fell on her bag and O’Brien started pulling at the bag from underneath her, eventually getting it.
When Garda Beale found her she was sitting on the road being comforted by passersby.
By this time O’Brien had made off with the bag. Ms. Breen was taken to Wexford General Hospital where she was treated for her injuries. She remained there for five days recovering.
Ms. Breen had been working as a volunteer at a care centre that morning, before going to a pharmacy and was waiting to be collected by her daughter when the attack took place.
Garda Beale said Ms. Breen said she hoped the defendant could get help for her addictions.
Garda Beale said O’Brien was arrested shortly after the attack. The court heard that O’Brien has 67 previous convictions, 25 of which are for theft.
Garda Beale said O’Brien was on temporary release at the time for theft, assault and public order offences. He said she is currently in custody.
“The defendant picked on vulnerable, elderly people” – Judge Diarmuid Collins BL, said: “There is little to be said in favour of an offence of this nature, save that she pleaded guilty.” He said O’Brien is a chronic alcoholic who using drugs sporadically.
“On the day in question she had been drinking since the early hours of the morning and took non prescribed prescribed benzodiazepines.
She was unsteady on her feet and unable to understand what she was saying or doing.” Mr. Collins said O’Brien wrote a letter of apology to Ms. Breen.
“If my client continues to use drink and drugs she will certainly reoffend, but if she stops the Garda believes she will stop reoffending.”
He said O’Brien grew up in a motherless household in which her father drank. He said O’Brien was a normal enough child and a good student, who went on to study cookery and worked in a restaurant until she was 26, at which time she fell into a spiral of addiction.
“She did not go out that morning with the intention of pushing this woman to the ground.” He said had his client not pleaded guilty it would have been very difficult for the state to prove whether she or a co-accused had.
Mr. Collins said his client developed an eating disorder and is attending drug counselling. “She has not engaged in a Damascene conversion, but is optimistic of getting into a rehabilitation programme in Dublin.”
He said it was a remarkably Christian gesture of Ms. Breen to suggest O’Brien get counselling. Philip Sheahan, prosecuting for the state said the maximum penalty Judge Alice Doyle could impose is life.
Dressed in black, O’Brien stood head bowed, as Judge Alice Doyle sentenced her to 18 months in jail as she was the main protagonist in the attack, suspending the final six months on the condition that she liaises with the probation and Welfare services for one year to help O’Brien become a useful member of society. She also ordered her to attend addiction counselling in Cork.
Judge Doyle took the second charge of attempted burglary into consideration.
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