A TEMPORARY release prisoner who was one of 30 recently on the run after failing to return to Mountjoy after Christmas had earlier been released by jail authorities on the same day she arrived there to serve a new sentence, a garda disclosed yesterday.
Tina Connaughton (33) of Bunratty Road, Coolock, was sentenced to 11 months' imprisonment on November 20th last on four convictions each of shoplifting and failure to turn up in Dublin District Court.
Yesterday, Garda John Fahy disclosed that she was granted temporary release from Mountjoy on December 22nd last, but on that day was given 45 days further imprisonment when she was convicted in Dun Laoghaire Court of shoplifting.
However, Garda Fahy said that when she reported to Mountjoy on the day of her Dun Laoghaire sentence, she was again given temporary release.
He said "Since then she has told us that she was due back on December 29th in Mountjoy after temporary release for Christmas on 22nd December. But after she got out she never went back."
Not alone did she not turn up four times at court, but she did not return to Mountjoy after her temporary release, he added.
Yesterday, Connaughton had a 10 months' jail sentence added to her existing sentence after she admitted two new shoplifting offences in Dun Laoghaire Court involving the theft of a total of £510.99 worth of women's clothing from both the A Wear and First Clothing premises in Dun Laoghaire shopping centre. The offences were committed while she was at large from Mountjoy jail on January 9th.
Pleading for leniency her solicitor, Mr Ronald Lynam, said Connaughton is a mother of four and is trying to avoid eviction from her flat, as she is in rent arrears. Her mother is looking after three of the children and another child, aged 13, is in care.
Judge Brian Kirby suspended five months of the 10 months sentence and appealed to the defendant to look after her children so that they would not get involved "in the same tragic situation".
The judge said the suspension depended on the defendant not being convicted of any offence for the next two years and also on condition that she stay away from Dun Laoghaire.