Granny (41) battling crack addiction stole pallet of St Paddy’s Day stock, court told

Lorraine Wolfe (41) was identified from CCTV footage at the back of the store.

Her male accomplice was the primary protagonist in the theft, her lawyer said.

Judge Ciaran Liddy accepted that Wolfe was not the primary protagonist, and that she had not been in trouble since this incident. He convicted and fined her €350.

The defendant, with an address at Blackhorse Avenue in Cabra, admitted stealing a pallet of St Patrick’s Day celebration items, worth €3,420, from EuroGiant, Maple Centre in Cabra on March 21, 2020.

Garda Derek Brown told Blanchardstown District Court that he was informed on March 23, 2020 by EuroGiant staff that one pallet of stock, which had been at the back of the store, had been taken two days earlier.

Gda Brown said the pallet contained St Patrick’s Day return stock and was valued at €3,420. The goods were not recovered, the court heard.

Gardaí viewed CCTV footage and identified a male and a female.

Wolfe was later arrested in May 2020 and was interviewed by gardaí. She made full admissions, Gda Brown said.

The court heard Wolfe had 15 previous convictions, though none for theft matters.

Defence lawyer Ciaran MacLoughlin said Wolfe, a single mother of four and a grandmother, was not the primary protagonist in this matter, and the male played a more major role.

Mr MacLoughlin said the defendant was suffering from addictions to tablets, heroin and crack cocaine at the time of this incident.

Wolfe went into custody in 2020 and she came out clean and sober. She was now doing very well and focused on staying out of trouble, the lawyer added.