A Ramelton mother who forged a medical certificate in an attempt to delay a court date has been warned to come up with a plan to pay compensation she owes to her victims.
Judge Éiteáin Cunningham issued a stern dressing-down to Denise Wilson, who was informed that she risks spending Christmas behind bars, away from her young child, if she fails to satisfy the court.
A 37-year-old, with an address at Bught Road, Ramelton, Wilson was brought before Judge Éiteáin Cunningham on Wednesday after failing to appear for a scheduled court date on Monday.
Wilson was convicted at Letterkenny District Court on May 2, 2023 on several charges of theft and given a two-month suspended prison sentence on condition that she pay €2,720 in compensation within a year.
Wilson was convicted of stealing over €2,000 and £500Stg from other persons on dates in 2021 and 2022.
The monies have not yet been discharged and Wilson, in an attempt to put her day in court back to the new year, falsified the date on a medical note certifying that she was unfit to appear.
Detective Sergeant Frank McDaid gave evidence of arresting Wilson by arrangement at 10.20am on Wednesday on foot of a bench warrant, which was issued at Monday’s sitting of Letterkenny District Court.
At Letterkenny District Court on Monday, Detective Sergeant McDaid told how he attended Wilson’s home two days previously and couldn’t get access. Wilson, who communicated with the Gardai via email, did not turn up to court.
A doctor, Waleed Abdullah, told the court that the certificate was issued to Wilson to cover a period of one week but was changed to three months.
“There is some forgery,” Dr Abdullah said before Judge Cunningham issued a bench warrant for Wilson’s arrest.
At Thursday’s sitting, Judge Cunningham said this was a serious matter.
Solicitor Mr Frank Dorrian told the court that the doctor’s certificate was tampered with by Wilson who was living in circumstances where she felt “under pressure” to pay the money.
“There is pressure,” Judge Cunningham interjected. “I deem this a very serious offence.”
Mr Dorrian said that a failure to discharge the compensation order arose from Wilson “to a large extent hiding from it”. He said Wilson did have a medical condition which caused her to be in hospital and she “opportunistically” changed the cert to a date in January, 2025 when she hoped to be able to address the matter.
Mr Dorrian said Wilson is apologetic, but has “no proper explanation”.
Judge Cunningham said there was a “flagrant breach” of a court order. The original offending behaviour was that of deception and she had continued to deceive the court, Judge Cunningham said.
Judge Cunningham said she was “really struggling” not to impose the suspended element of the sentence in the matter.
“The court had to issue a warrant to bring her to court and there had to be time taken out of a doctor’s day to advise that what the court suspected is what happened,” Judge Cunningham said.
“It was absolutely immediately apparent on the medical certificate; it was so obviously doctored. Did she think that I wouldn’t pick up on that?”
Mr Dorrian told the court that his client was the mother of a three-year-old child and Judge Cunningham said: “The mother of a three-year-old child should know better.”
Judge Cunningham said she wanted proposals brought to her in two weeks’ time. She warned Wilson that a failure to attend on the next date will see the court have no discretion.
“Your three-year-old doesn’t want to be without you this Christmas,” Judge Cunningham told Wilson. “I don’t accept the scenario that you felt ‘under pressure’: You are under pressure. You are obliged to discharge a court order.
“I find it absolutely the most serious thing where you tried to deceive the court in circumstances where you are here on offences where the very essence was deception.”
Wilson was granted bail in her own bond of 200, nil cash, on condition that she commit no further offence and remain of good behaviour and appear in court at each and every remand.