Courts

Woman (38) accused of trespassing and burglaries at three schools in one day

Mother of one remanded in custody before next court appearance on March 14th

The woman appeared at a weekend sitting of Dublin District Court. Photograph: Dave Meehan
The woman appeared at a weekend sitting of Dublin District Court. Photograph: Dave Meehan
Tom Tuite
Sun Mar 10 2024 - 16:31

A Dublin woman accused of burglaries and trespassing at three local schools on the same day has been refused bail.

Joyce Conlon (38) of Meath Place, Dublin 8, was remanded in custody pending directions from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).

She appeared before Judge John Hughes at a weekend sitting of Dublin District Court after gardaí investigating a spate of thefts allegedly identified her from CCTV evidence.

Ms Conlon “made no reply” when she was charged with six counts of burglary, two for trespass and one theft over recent weeks.

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Five of the incidents happened on February 27th.

Objecting to bail, Garda Daniel Ebbs said an intruder stole two handbags, a laptop and €104 in cash from St James’s Primary School on Basin Street.

She was allegedly found trespassing at CBS Basin Lane and took €100 from a purse in an office at another school in the locality on the same date.

It was claimed she stole a bag containing €500 from a Meath Street bakery. Staff tried to stop the intruder, who absconded, and the property was recovered.

She allegedly stole a purse from a cafe kitchen on Thomas Street and, in another incident, a rucksack through an open apartment window in the same area.

The court heard she was accused of stealing a female student’s €1,000 laptop from her college accommodation in Grangegorman on February 10th, but the property was later discarded. She was also charged with taking a guest’s bag from a Dublin 8 hotel last week.

The DPP’s directions have yet to be received, but the garda said he would recommend that the case be dealt with in the Circuit Court, which has broader sentencing powers.

Defence solicitor Eoin Lysaght submitted that his client, who has yet to enter a plea, was presumed innocent and pointed out that there could be a significant delay until her trial.

However, Judge Hughes denied the bail application and remanded her in custody to appear again on March 14th for the DPP’s directions. Legal aid was granted to the unemployed mother of one.