A MOTHER of seven dragged a Garda with her car as she sped away from a checkpoint, a Limerick court heard.
And the same woman returned to a shop to pay for goods she had previously stolen, but stole something else while she was there.
Victoria Harty (also known as Ryan) (35), with an address at a halting site in Askeaton, was before Limerick District Court pleading guilty to charges of dangerous driving, shoplifting, and various road traffic offences, including driving without insurance.
Judge Patricia Harney heard Ms Harty was admitting stealing groceries and clothes worth a total of €1,222.
The court heard that, on June 18, 2024, Harty was stopped at a Garda checkpoint in Askeaton. A Garda was speaking to her at the window of the car, when she suddenly accelerated away, dragging him with her as she fled.
The court heard Harty was “told to stop but drove on at speed” and, when confronted with a second patrol car on the road a short distance away, “she tried to do a U-turn but failed and was arrested”.
Ms Harty pleaded guilty to seven charges of theft from shops, including a charge of stealing €6 worth of groceries and €1,041.95 worth of clothing from Intersport Elverys at the Parkway Retail Park.
One of the thefts was from Centra in Askeaton, where Ms Harty originally stole €17 worth of goods. The court heard she later returned to repay the amount she owed for the stolen goods, and stole a deodorant worth €4.55 while there.
Judge Harney was told that Harty has 62 previous convictions, including thefts, dangerous driving, driving without insurance, and failing to appear in court to answer charges.
Her solicitor, John Herbert, told the court that Ms Harty was homeless until recently but now has a caravan on a site in Askeaton.
“She has settled in there and all of her children are attending school,” he said. He added that Ms Harty had been struggling raising seven children.
She had been homeless and moving from place to place, he said, outlining why she did not come to court.
Judge Harney said the mother “has 62 previous convictions and she was only born in 1990”.
She described the driving incident in which the Garda was dragged as “disgraceful”, adding that stealing again when she went to pay for the original theft was “just brazen”.
“She has avoided coming to court – now she is throwing herself on the mercy of the court. That’s like murdering your parents and looking for sympathy because you’re an orphan,” Judge Harney said.
She jailed Ms Harty for three months for the incident in which the Garda was dragged by her car, and 11 weeks and one day for the various thefts, all sentences are to run consecutively.
The judge also banned Harty from driving for 16 years for the charges of dangerous driving and driving without a licence or insurance, imposing fines totalling €1,550.
She set bail for an appeal at Harty’s own bond of €300, on the condition she not drive a motor vehicle.
– Court Reporting Scheme
