Girl, 15, 'preyed on pensioners' in two burglaries
A 15-year-old girl, who preyed on kind pensioners whose homes were burgled after she arrived at their doorsteps pretending to be a charity collector, has been remanded on bail pending sentence.
The girl, who is originally from Romania, but now residing in Co Meath had pleaded guilty to burgling two homes, in Glenageary, Co Dublin, on July last 18. She stole €175 in cash and €30 worth of phone credit from one house and about €200 from the other.
She also admitted theft of a handbag and its contents worth €230, from a house in the same area, which happened in February last year.
Garda Daniel Treacy of Dun Laoghaire Station had said in evidence that she had been let inside the home “on the pretext that she was collecting money for a deaf and dumb foundation. She was given €5 meanwhile another youth, who was with her, went upstairs and took €130 and €30 of phone credit.”
The second burglary that day was carried out in the same fashion.
Garda Sergeant Peter Woods had also outlined how the girl had carried out another burglary where she stole €230 after being let into the home of a couple in their seventies while she was carrying out a bogus charity collection.
The girl had also been convicted of trespassing in a 75-year-od woman’s home with intent to commit an offence, on April 13 2006. She was then aged 13 years.
The teen girl and an accomplice had called to the woman’s home in Foxrock, Dublin and asked for a glass of water. The woman agreed and told them to wait at her door as she went to her kitchen.
“I turned around from my kitchen sink and they were standing there behind me but they had not been invited into my home.”
The elderly woman then became nervous as one of the girls acted as a “decoy” and the other ran upstairs. She threatened to call the gardai at which they left. However, she then noticed that her purse containing her bus pass, cash and bank cards were missing from her kitchen.
Concerns had been raised in court last year over the girl not being in school. However, defence solicitor Kelly Breen told Judge McMahon today that the girl has been co-operating with the Probation Service to address her offending. She also submitted that the girl has also been accepting help from the National Education and Welfare Board, which as arranged for her to receive home tuition.
She said a probation report on the girl was favourable and “great progress has been made with support of her family.” Ms Breen appealed to the judge to adjourn the case to allow the girl to continue her efforts.
Judge McMahon agreed to the request and adjourned the case until September. The girl, who was accompanied to court by her father, was remanded on continuing bail.
