The District Court judge in Tralee has refused jurisdiction in the case of a Tralee woman charged with stealing over €6,700 worth of items from shops.
26-year-old Kathleen McDonagh of 31 Forge Park, Oakpark, Tralee, appeared at a recent sitting of Tralee District Court.
She faces 13 charges, 12 of which relate to separate allegations of thefts from shops in Kerry, Cork, and Limerick.
Ms McDonagh’s 12 alleged thefts range from May 2025 to March this year.
The first of these was at Euro Giant in the Horans Centre, where she allegedly stole items worth almost €150 on 4th May last year, and then stole cosmetics valued at €39 there again on New Year’s Eve.
Ms McDonagh is charged with stealing clothes worth over €200 in Penneys, Killarney, on 7th July last year, and then bed sheets from Michael Guineys in Tralee worth almost €58 on 2nd September.
It’s alleged that a week later, she stole perfumes from CH Chemist in Tralee worth over €180.
It’s alleged Ms McDonagh stole clothes worth almost €1,100 from Sports Direct in Killarney last November, and then allegedly stole clothes worth almost €1,200 from the same shop last December.
Ms McDonagh is alleged to have stolen groceries worth €300 from Tesco in Newcastle West on 1st March, before allegedly stealing cosmetics from Holland and Barrett on Patrick Street in Cork worth over €1,500 just three days later.
She’s further charged with stealing groceries worth €831 from Dunnes Stores on Childers Road in Limerick on 15th March this year, and stealing Apple air tags worth €833 on 31st March from Currys in Tralee.
Ms McDonagh is also alleged to have stolen clothes worth over €300 from JD Sports in the Outlet Centre, Killarney, on 19th April, and she faces one public order charge at the Spar on Oakpark Road, Tralee, on 1st April this year.
Judge David Waters refused jurisdiction in the case, meaning it will be heard in a higher court with wider sentencing powers.
At a previous court sitting, her solicitor Pádraig O’Connell said Ms McDonagh is a young lady with three young children, the youngest of whom is one year old.
She was remanded on bail to 24th June for the book of evidence to be served.
