A judge failed to see the romantic side when a young woman stole chocolates and teddy bears on St.Valentine’s Day.
Lisa Mongan went on a robbing spree and stole a litany of goods including whiskey, bed linen, clothing, chocolates and toys from branches of Dunnes Stores, Tesco and Lifestyle Sports.
Letterkenny District Court heard how Mongan, 22, even got a child to help her steal the goods.
Solicitor Patsy Gallagher said Ms Mongan’s family had a history of theft but she had managed to avoid the family trait up until now.
He also revealed that she was suffering emotionally as she had lost two children shortly after birth.
However Judge Paul Kelly said Mongan, 22, of 61 Cashel Park, Letterkenny, was part of an organised scheme of shop-lifters.
He said such thefts were having a huge affect on the economy.
“These were automatic and organised crimes and she seems to have been up to her neck in it. Individually the items were small but we hear all the time about the cost to the economy – it appears as a victimless crime but it is not.
“The rest of the community pays for these crimes. This lady is not the victim to the extent that you are portraying her. I do not accept that. She had her choice and there were incidents when she was on her own,” he said.
He ordered a probation report and warned Ms Mongan that if she came before him again, it would influence his sentence.