Teenager blames kicking-in of shop window on toxic relationship

A teenager who kicked in the front window of a Mullingar department store last month, causing several hundreds of euro worth of damage has blamed her actions on the ill-effects of an abusive relationship.

Hannah O’Brien (19) of 51 Delany Park, Arklow, Wicklow pleaded guilty to causing €650 of damage to Shaws department store, Austin Friar Street, Mullingar, Westmeath on April 3 last.

Sgt Orla Keenan said gardaí were called to the scene following reports that a woman dressed in a pink jumpsuit had been spotted carrying out the incident shortly before midnight.

CCTV footage resulted in a positive identification by gardaí.

The court was told Ms O’Brien had no previous convictions prior to the incident and defence barrister Larissa Sabou, BL, put particular weight on her client’s tender years at the time of the offence.

“Sure, this was only a month ago,” replied Judge Bernadette Owens. “She is still a young woman.”

Ms Sabou accepted that, and said the incident had stemmed from a toxic relationship Ms O’Brien was in at the time.

Counsel said it was “very out of character” behaviour.

Ms O’Brien had signed up for a beauty therapist course as part of her efforts to start afresh.

Though Ms O’Brien’s only source of income is social welfare, Ms Sabou said her client was willing to set aside €50 a week for compensation.

Ms Sabou said the incident had been a “real wakeup call” for the accused and asked the court to consider Ms O’Brien’s early guilty plea and lack of previous convictions.

Judge Bernadette Owens directed Ms O’Brien to comply with Probation Services for the preparation of a restorative justice report and remanded her on bail to October 22.

She said the five months would also allow the accused time to gather up necessary compensation, but stressed that responsibility would fall on her shoulders.

“It’s up to her to save that money as we (court) aren’t a money collection operation,” she said.