Penneys shoplifter came to Ireland for better life, court hears

Wassila Ouriachi (30) stole the goods out of desperation because she did not have enough clothing after leaving Algeria with her partner.

Judge Bryan Smyth dismissed the case under the Probation Act, sparing her a criminal record.

The accused admitted charges of theft and possession of stolen property.

Dublin District Court heard Ouriachi took €432 worth of clothes at Penneys on Mary Street on June 18 this year and left without paying.

When she was stopped by security, items from another Penneys store were found in her rucksack which she had not paid for. The goods were recovered.

Ouriachi left Algeria in hope of a better life because she was a member of the LGBTQ+ community and “wasn’t accepted” there, her solicitor Evan Moore said.

She did not have enough clothes and the weekly asylum payment was €38.

The accused was university-educated and hoped to work here once she became eligible.

The accused had no previous convictions.