'Your son's heart is breaking to see you this way' Kildare judge tells woman

A judge told a woman that her “son’s heart is breaking to see you this way,” at Naas District Court.

The woman, who was in custody, appeared for prison via video link.

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The 41 year old was prosecuted for theft, encoding talking clothes from the Kalu store at South Main Street, Naas, on January 9.

“I’m worn out from listening to your previous convictions,” commented Judge Desmond Zaidan.

The woman has 224 prior convictions and her first was recorded in Dublin Children’s Court in 2001.

Barrister Donnacha Craddock said the woman has a child, now aged 20, and the woman's drug addiction had “spiralled out of control.”

Mr Craddock said the woman is labouring under addiction for some time and is on methadone, which is used primarily to treat opioid, including heroin, addiction.

“She’s doing okay. We’re a country where addiction is not treated that well (and) services are poor,” added Mr Craddock.

The court was told that there was no violence or threat of violence in any of the incidents.

Addressing the defendant Judge Desmond Zaidan said she was committing crimes “since you were in nappies” and asked her what he should do, to which she replied “give me a chance.”

Asked what she would do when she is released the woman said: “I don’t know, I couldn't tell ya.”

“You don’t look scary,” said the judge, adding that shops and their customers pay the cost of security measles that have to be taken because of theft.

He said the case is “just appalling” and shows the impact of the drugs on the defendant and society. He predicted the woman would return to shoplifting “to feed her habit.”

He imposed an 11 month term for one offence taking the two others into consideration and backdated it to when she went into custody.

He advised the woman to get help for her physical and mental health.