A woman whose husband had just died was attacked and robbed on the first night she went out to socialise since his death.
Kathleen Granaghan was walking to a charity function in Bundoran, Co Donegal, on March 12th, 2016.
She had almost reached the Great Northern Hotel where the function was on when she noticed a man had come up behind her.
The man pushed her in the back and then in the front and then snatched her red handbag before running off.
The bag contained €220 in cash as well as bank cards.
The 61-year-old woman was left terrified as it was the first time she had gone out to socialise since the death of her husband four months previously.
Nathan Coughlan, aged 21, appeared at Letterkenny Circuit Court where he pleaded guilty to robbery.
The victim had described her attacker on the night and Garda Lar Nicholson suspected it was Coughlan.
He called to his home at Armada Cottages in Bundoran but he was wearing different clothing than the victim had claimed.
However, Gardai then arranged for Ms Granaghan to later drive around the town and she managed to pick out Coughlan walking the streets in Bundoran.
The court was told that the handbag was later found stuffed into an oil tank but it as soaked with oil and the €220 in cash was missing.
A victim impact statement on behalf of Ms Granaghan was read into the court.
She said that identifying her attacker as a very frightening experience.
She also said she was terrified that because Coughlan had her bank card, he knew where she lived and he may come to her house and rob her or keep her quiet.
Coughlan gave evidence in the case and apologised to his victim.
“I’m sorry for what happened. I was going through a bad time in my life – I have never done anything like that before and will never do anything like that again,” he said.
The court heard that Coughlan, a father of one, had a number of previous convictions for various offenses including robbery, making hoax calls and traffic.
Judge John Aylmer said that Coughlan had moved up to a new quantum level with this offense.
He sentenced him to 12 months in prison and ordered that €300 bail money lodged by Coughlan be given to Ms Granaghan.