14 hours ago
Aerosol addict caught shoplifting from Dealz walks free from court – ‘I did it, I sniffed them'
Marian Leddy (40) pleaded guilty at a sitting of Longford District Court to three counts of shoplifting at various retail outlets in Longford town in June and November last year.
Marian Leddy was on a suspended prison sentence when she committed the latter two of three thefts she pleaded guilty to.
A recovering aerosol addict with almost 100 convictions to her name has walked free from court despite being caught red-handed shoplifting in a midlands town while under a suspended prison sentence.
Marian Leddy (40) pleaded guilty at a sitting of Longford District Court to three counts of shoplifting at various retail outlets in Longford town in June and November last year.
Leddy, who already had 97 previous convictions from her criminal past, carried out the first of those thefts when entering Dealz on the midlands town's Market Square on June 18.
Sgt Enda Daly recounted how Leddy was identified on CCTV taking six cans of Dove deodorant from the store's shelf and placing them inside her jacket before leaving without paying for any of the items moments later.
The combined sum of the stolen deodorants amounted to almost €20, none of which was recovered.
When gardaí arrested and subsequently interviewed her, Sgt Daly said Leddy accepted her culpability by telling officers: 'It was me, I had an addiction to sprays at the time. I sniffed them (and) I am sorry about that.'
The court was also informed of two further shoplifting incidents where Leddy singled out a brace of stores within a week of each other in November.
The first of those saw the accused walk into Boots on November 14, along the town's Ballymahon Road where she placed Christmas perfume sets totalling €370 into a shopping bag.
Marian Leddy was on a suspended prison sentence when she committed the latter two of three thefts she pleaded guilty to.
Like the earlier Dealz incident, Leddy again made no attempts to pay for any of the goods and was positively identified by gardaí on CCTV.
Five days later, Leddy targeted local sports store, Elverys, just off Longford's main Athlone Road in an episode that saw her make off with a pair of On Cloud runners valued at just over €100.
The training shoes were not recovered, added Sgt Daly, as he revealed how Leddy was also tracked down thanks to the downloading of CCTV in an exercise that ultimately drew an admission of guilt from the Longford woman.
The court was told Leddy's most recent conviction had been recorded in July last year, among which saw a series of theft related incidents being 'taken into consideration' by the court.
More tellingly, however, was the revelation by Sgt Daly of a suspended five month prison sentence Leddy had been under the confines of at the time of the latter two offences after it was handed down in July 2024.
In defence, Bríd Mimnagh said her client's life had 'dramatically changed' for the better since the birth of her daughter three months ago.
In handing in a letter to confirm her ongoing engagement a local CADS (Community Alcohol and Drugs Service) branch, Ms Mimnagh said Leddy's decision to steal had largely arisen out of sheer desperation.
'She stole in order to feed herself, she was homeless and pregnant at the time,' she said, insisting how Leddy was 'now in control' of her addiction issues in the hope of embarking on a new chapter in her life.
'She has to focus her life on her little girl and she is asking the court to not imprison her,' added Ms Mimnagh.
Judge Bernadette Owens spared Leddy a criminal conviction by applying the Probation Act for the Dealz raid.
In referencing how the aforementioned five month suspended prison term was 'at play' in terms of its triggering ramifications, Judge Owens deferred any sentencing until an updated probation report was carried out on the accused.
Leddy was consequently remanded on bail to appear back at a sitting of Longford District Court on November 18.
