An Oranmore woman has been jailed for stealing 19 bottles of wine and six cans of Heineken from Galway supermarkets
Kelly Wall (48), with an address at 63 Oakfield Renmore, was charged with three counts of theft at various supermarkets around Galway, all of alcohol.
One of the charges goes back to 2017, while the other two took place this year.
On August 8 2017, at Aldi in Westside, Wall alledgedly stuck a bottle of wine worth €10.99 under her jumper and tried to leave, but was stopped by security and later arrested.
This year at Tesco in Oranmore on February 13, Wall was accused of stealing 18 bottles of wine from the supermarket, with a total value of €136.80.
And finally on May 28 just gone, Wall attempted to take six cans of Heineken worth €13 from Tesco Express on Newcastle road without paying.
However she was seen by staff attempting to leave and detained until gardaí arrived.
Wall, who pleaded guilty to all charges, received a suspended in June for multiple charges of public drunkenness in a wine-chugging spree, on the condition that she remain sober.
The court heard that at one point she had completed a residential programme at Bushypark Addiction Treatment Centre in Clare, but fell off the wagon six weeks after she left.
Solicitor for the defence Olivia Traynor said that her client has a long history of alcohol addiction and had been homeless for some time.
But she argued that when Wall is sober she’s an intelligent and aware person.
Addressing the court Wall said despite the fact that she relapsed,the treatment programme at Bushypark was excellent.
She said that abuse at work and home had led to her becoming an alcoholic and losing her home.
“I know it doesn’t it doesn’t look like it, but she is trying,” said Ms. Traynor.
Judge Fahy disagreed and said that Wall was only capable of seeing things her way, “She’s manipulative, and she’s gotten chance upon chance at this court.”
Wall received a three month prison sentence for the theft from Tesco in Oranmore.
An additional four month consecutive sentence for trying to steal the Heineken was suspended, and she got a one month concurrent sentence for the Aldi theft.
