Woman with ‘irresistble impulse’ to steal in €6,000 shoplifting spree

A woman an “irresistible impulse” for shoplifting has pleaded guilty to stealing more than €6,000 in clothing, groceries and household items from 10 different retail outlets across the midlands, seven of which are in Mullingar.

Anastasia Lawrence (23) with addresses at Townspark, Navan, Meath and Castle Meadows, Trim, Meath, appeared at last week’s sitting of Mullingar District Court to face 11 separate counts of theft.

All of the offences occurred between January 19, 2023 and November 11, 2025 at supermarket, clothing and sports stores in Louth, Offaly and Westmeath.

Seven of the 11 thefts Ms Lawrence pleaded guilty to took place at Homesavers, Lakepoint Retail Park, Mullingar, Sports Direct, Pearse Street, Mullingar, TK Maxx, Fairgreen Shopping Centre, Mullingar, Elvery Sports, Lakepoint Shopping Centre, Mullingar, Aldi, Green Road, Mullingar, Buckley’s SuperValu, Austin Friars Street Mullingar and Mr Price, Canal Court, Bellview, Mullingar.

On entry of all 11 guilty pleas, Judge Bernadette Owens asked court presenter Sgt Orla Keenan for the overall amount involved.

Sgt Keenan said the final sum involved was just under €6,100, and that no aggravating factors were involved in any of the thefts.

The court was also told Ms Lawrence had 39 previous convictions, around 30 of which were for similar shoplifting offences.

In defence, barrister Ross Nestor, BL, said Ms Lawrence was doing her level best to turn her life around for the better, having been released from serving a prison sentence in January.

“Since that date, she hasn’t come to any adverse garda attention and all these matters relate to older charges,” he said, noting that Ms Lawrence was a married woman living in Navan with her husband.

Mr Nestor said since her release from custody, Ms Lawrence had reached out to a locally based Traveller workshop with a view to exploring possible employment.

He said his client’s best attempts to learn from her past mistakes had brought a sense of stability to the “chaotic lifestyle” at the time of her offending.

In an effort to allow the court insight on Ms Lawrence’s background and behavioural patterns during that period, Mr Nestor applied for a probation and welfare report on the accused.

He said that would allow Ms Lawrence to “put her best foot forward” in gathering compensation and to establish a “road map” to prevent any repeat offending.

In response to questioning from Judge Owens about the nature of Ms Lawrence’s criminality and lack of employment, Mr Nestor admitted her motivation at the time had been driven by “irresistible impulse” and was “almost an addiction”.

Judge Owens directed a probation report to include a community service assessment of 240 hours in lieu of six months in prison.

She said the order was being made “without making any promises” concerning Ms Lawrence’s future liberty and remanded her on bail to Mullingar District Court on June 25.

The state was also given liberty to re-enter the case.