Three years for ‘cunning’ thief who burgled dementia sufferer’s home

A mother-of-three who conned her way into an elderly dementia sufferer’s home by pretending she was an acquaintance has been jailed for three years for burglary.

Margaret Cawley (27) knocked at the house with a co-accused woman and a child and gained access by pretending she knew the 84-year-old female resident.

The court heard that the elderly woman’s sister, who was aged 75, had been visiting and opened the door to Cawley.

Cawley and her co-accused went into the sitting room, spoke to the home owner as if they knew her and then offered to make tea.

As Cawley went into the kitchen, she stole the 84-year-old woman’s handbag from her rollator walker and the co-accused took the sister’s bag. The culprits and the child then ran out the door.

Previous convictions

Cawley, of Daletree Place, Ballycullen, Dublin, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to trespass and theft at Newcastle Manor Rise, Newcastle, Dublin, on March 14th, 2017.

She has 17 previous convictions for burglary and is serving a 22-month sentence. Her co-accused is still before the courts and cannot be named.

Garda Stephen Broderick told Fiona McGowan, prosecuting, that Cawley and her co-accused fled in a Nissan Almera car after they grabbed the two handbags.

Neighbours witnessed the car speeding off and the 75-year-old woman in distress outside the house.

Further witnesses saw two bags being thrown from this vehicle on the Nangar Road, near Baldonnel, Dublin.

Garda Broderick said he tracked down the Nissan, driven by Cawley, a short distance later and found a walking stick taken from the elderly woman’s home in the passenger footwell.

The bags and contents, including disabled parking discs, prescriptions and bank, social welfare and medical cards, were recovered. A cash amount of €100 had been taken.

Unhappy childhood

Garda Broderick told the court that the incident has impacted both elderly victims and they were more anxious being alone.

The garda agreed with James Dwyer, defending, that no violence or threats had been used in the offence.

Mr Dwyer submitted to Judge Martin Nolan that his client had had an unhappy childhood with time spent in various women's refuge centres because of her violent father.

He said she had stayed in similar centres due to a violent relationship in her adult life.

Judge Nolan noted that Cawley must have known the homeowner's age and that a certain amount of cunning was used in the offence. He acknowledged she had a sad background, but said the crime was serious.

He imposed the three year jail term, saying full credit was to be given for any time Cawley in custody spent solely on this burglary charge.