A CIRCUIT Court judge has warned a shoplifting mother that he does not like being bullied by her into suspending a prison sentence on account of her having two children, and has given her one week to make arrangements for their care.
Mother-of-two Miriam Adedosu (35), Clochard, Rahoon, Galway, had accused a garda of only picking on her because she was black when she was apprehended moments after stealing a €500 dress from a city centre shop on August 5th, 2005. She had evaded the charge until recently by moving address, Galway District Court heard earlier this month.
Judge Mary Fahy had sentenced the woman to four months in prison in the District Court and the severity of that sentence was appealed to Judge Raymond Groarke in the Circuit Court sitting in Galway yesterday.
Garda Fiona White told the appeal hearing that Adedosu took the dress from the Treasure Chest on William Street and left the store with two other women. When Garda White confronted Adedosu as she left a Monsoon shop nearby, Adedosu screamed at her: “You are only doing this because I am coloured.”
She then dragged Garda White into Monsoon, pushing her against a rail of clothes, and the garda dragged the woman back out on to the street.
Both women fell to the ground during a struggle, and an off-duty garda who happened to be walking by grabbed Adedosu as she tried to escape. The dress was never recovered and the other two women fled.
Hearing the accused was a single mother and had no one to mind her two young children if she were sent to prison, Judge Raymond Groarke asked where were Adedosu’s two accomplices, as they could mind her children for her now.
Adjourning the appeal to February 24th, Judge Groarke said he did not like being bullied, and he had the distinct impression that this was what was happening. “It’s being put up to me and I don’t like it,” the judge said.
He warned Adedosu to have arrangements made by next Tuesday regarding the care of her children. “She can bring a bag with her too and I will decide then what to do with her.”