GARDAI were able to bring a thief to justice thanks to a top grade CCTV system at a Centra supermarket, a court has heard.
Theresa Stokes, 25, whose address was give as 17 The Elms, Letterkenny, appeared at the town’s District Court on two theft charges.
She was charged with stealing a bottle of Malibu from Kelly’s Centra at Mountain Top, Letterkenny on January 22 last year.
She also faced a charge first heard in Buncrana where she pleaded guilty to stealing another woman’s handbag at Liberty’s nightclub in the town on February 26th last.
A Garda Inspector said the excellent CCTV footage at Kellys’ Centra clearly showed Stokes going into the alcohol area of the shop and placing a bottle of Malibu into her handbag before leaving the premises.
Once gardai saw the footage they were easily able to identify Stokes who had a string of previous convictions for theft.
Judge Paul Kelly sentenced Stokes to three months in prison on each charge, with the sentences to run consecutively.
He added the sentences to other suspended sentences for two years. He extended a probation order over the defendant.
Judge Kelly told Stokes: “The Probation Service says you are making progress but this litany of offending and these thefts will have to stop.
“You are now in a situation where you have a 15 month prison sentence hanging over you and if you re-offend in any way those sentences will be activated.”