Store thieving act ‘a training session’
At Ennis District Court, Judge Patrick Durcan told Winnie Ward, aged 42, and her daughter, Margaret, aged 21, to keep out of Co Clare after they both pleaded guilty to stealing numerous items of clothing at the Ennis outlet during Easter of this year.
Winnie Ward of Latthills, Cavan, stuffed a bag full of clothes worth €97 and Margaret Ward, of the same address, was making off with clothing items worth €38 when they were stopped by a security guard on April 12.
All of the goods were recovered on the date.
Judge Durcan asked: “What was Mrs Ward bringing her daughter into Penney’s for? This was purely a training session. A training exercise.”
Ennis based solicitor for the Wards, Colm Doherty said that he had discussed this with Winnie Ward. He said: “It doesn’t read well. It doesn’t look well. I am instructed that they needed to get away from Cavan.
He said: “They arrived in Ennis and they intended to go into Penney’s shopping and arising from that they find themselves before the court.”
Judge Durcan fined Winnie Ward €150 and struck out the case against Margaret.
Mr Doherty said that Margaret Ward has a six-week-old baby and that her husband left her within a year of getting married.
He said that Ms Ward was very stressed at the time s and needed to get out of Cavan for a break in Ennis.
Mr Doherty said Winnie Ward is a mother of seven and all live with her. Mr Doherty said Mrs Ward had been stressed as there were four to five deaths of people who were close to her.
