charged New mum's suitcase, baby clothes and bank card 'stolen as she gave birth'

A new mum was giving birth in a maternity hospital when her suitcase containing baby clothes was stolen and multiple thefts carried out on her bank card, it is alleged.

The woman returned from an operation to deliver her child in Dublin's Rotunda to find the case gone and a text from her bank about fraudulent "tapping" purchases made at nearby shops.

Another patient at the hospital and a man were charged over the incident, a court heard.

Stacy Fitzgerald (31) and Laurence Doran (50), both with an address at a Gardiner Street B&B, are charged with stealing the suitcase at the Rotunda on September 10 last year.

Ms Fitzgerald is also charged with several counts of theft and attempted theft at Spar, Londis, SuperValu and Daybreak shops in the north inner city that day.

Judge Bryan Smyth adjourned the cases for the accused to decide how they intend to plead.

Garda Sergeant Michelle Lynch said the DPP consented to the case being dealt with in the district court.

She said it was alleged that Ms Fitzgerald was staying in the Rotunda as an in-patient when a bag was taken belonging to the victim, who was another patient in the hospital staying in the same ward.

It was alleged Mr Doran was involved in the theft and CCTV footage showed him and a woman removing the bag.

It was alleged this woman was seen in Spar on Gardiner Street carrying the property and there were a number of transactions using a bank card that was taken from it, the court heard.

According to the prosecution, the suitcase contained baby clothes, cash and personal items belonging to the victim.

The case was taken when the victim went to have an operation to have her baby delivered. Shortly after, she received text messages from the bank about possibly fraudulent transactions.

When her husband went to check, the bag had been taken from the ward. The successful transactions totalled €165.

Judge Smyth accepted jurisdiction after hearing the outline of the prosecution's case.

Legal aid was granted after an application by the defence.

The accused have not yet entered pleas to the charges.

They were not required to be present in court and were remanded on continuing bail in their absence.