Two women who advertised a household cleaning service on Facebook but “cleaned” out a client’s house of almost €2,000 in personal items have escaped going to jail.
Chloe Colsh and Anne Marie Dunphy appeared at Letterkenny District Court in Co Donegal charged with theft.
The women had earlier pleaded guilty to the charges and have since paid compensation to the woman they robbed.
Victim Carol Doherty came across the accused women at Letterkenny Bus station after they had cleaned out her house at Illistrin Little on March 4th, 2017.
The victim noticed that the two women had some of her personal belongings with them.
She confronted them and the women fled and when Ms Doherty returned to her home in Kilmacrennan, she discovered numerous items had been taken.
The list included a Nintendo DS, a child’s gold ring, an Apple iPod, a silver necklace, a Google Nexus tablet and a Samsung camera.
It was estimated that the stolen property was valued at up to €2,000 but some of the stolen items had since been recovered.
The court heard that many of the items had been traded in locally at a shop.
Ms Doherty tried to contact the two women through Facebook messenger but they blocked her messages.
The pair, Colsh, aged 20, and Dunphy, aged 28, who are originally from the Midlands, moved to Donegal where they had an address together at Forest Park, Killygordon.
Solicitor for the women, Mr Gordon Curley, said all compensation had now been paid to Ms Doherty.
He said the women had come up with the scheme in order to make some money as they had none and that this was their first jobs.
They advertised their services on Facebook and charged €25 per home.
Judge Paul Kelly said having read the Probation Reports on both women and having heard all compensation was paid, he would apply the Probation Act in both cases.
The court heard that another man involved in the case, who is understood to have sold on the property, will appear in court in September.