Woman stole from mother in car with young children
By Declan Brennan
A judge has jailed a woman who carried out a robbery in broad daylight of a mother who was sitting in her car with her young children.
Lydia Simpson (35), of St Mark’s Grove, Clondalkin, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to robbery at the Liffey Valley Shopping Centre car park in Clondalkin on January 21 last.
Garda Brendan Shovlin told the court that victim’s five-year-old son was in the back of the car. Simpson went to grab a purse from the front seat but the owner grabbed it and held on.
During a tussle the purse ended up in the back of the car and Simpson reached in over the front seats to get it. During this she unintentionally struck the child.
Paul Carroll SC, defending, said it was a very frightening experience for all the children especially the child who was struck.
Judge Martin Nolan imposed a two-year prison sentence which will run from next January. Simpson is already in custody serving a sentence.
Her previous convictions include shoplifting and trespassing. Judge Nolan said Simpson’s history of drug addiction has bedevilled her since an early age.
He said Simpson committed the robbery because she needed money to buy drugs on the day.
Garda Shovlin said gardai approached Simpson shortly after the robbery and she immediately began telling them she was ashamed.
She admitted the robbery and said: “I know what I did was wrong. I’m at the bottom. I’m out of my head.”
Judge Nolan noted that Simpson came from a good family and was remorseful for her actions.
