Serial handbag thief stole bag containing €30k worth of cancer medication

BreakingNews.ie

3 days ago

A serial handbag thief who stole luggage containing almost €30,000 of cancer medication from an elderly tourist has been jailed for six and a half years.
Marese Craig (28), described by her own lawyers as a 'nuisance' for plaguing businesses and tourists, also stole a handbag containing holy medals from a mother minding her baby at a neonatal intensive care unit at a Dublin city centre hospital.
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Craig appeared before Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on a multitude of theft offences spanning 10 bills of indictment.
She has 191 previous convictions, including 18 burglaries, nine robberies, 102 thefts and 16 deception offences. She also has convictions for drugs and public order offences.
The court heard Craig's offences were fuelled by a need to get money to buy drugs. She was readily identified on CCTV following most of the offences. She made admissions and expressed regret.
Craig, of Bridgefoot Street, Dublin 8, pleaded guilty to thefts, burglaries and possession of stolen bank cards at locations across the city centre on dates between 2022 and 2024.
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Passing sentence on Monday, Judge Orla Crowe made reference to what she felt were the two more serious offences committed by Craig, including the theft of the handbag from a mother who was tending to her baby in the neonatal ward, and the theft of the American tourist's bag.
Judge Crowe said these thefts were 'particularly egregious' while acknowledging that Craig had been upset by the fact that the man's medication was in the bag she stole.
The judge said that Craig didn't know the contents of any bag she took during her spate of offending, so she has 'to live with the consequences' of the fact that some of those bags may contain items which are of particular importance to the owner.
Judge Crowe took into account the fact that Craig was a drug addict and has since expressed remorse for her crimes.
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She imposed consecutive sentences totalling seven-and-a-half years before she suspended the final 12 months of that term on strict conditions, including that Craig engage with the Probation Service for 18 months following her release from prison.
Judge Crowe described Craig's offending as 'deplorable' but said the court wished to give her some sort of opportunity to re-enter society in a constructive way.
An investigating garda told Aoife O'Leary BL, prosecuting, that a 75-year-old American tourist on a long-planned trip to Ireland arrived at a city centre hotel on May 13th, 2024, when he noticed one of his bags was missing.
The bag contained €27,000 worth of cancer and other medication, an iPad and a CPAP machine.
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Some of the medication was later discovered scattered nearby. His son was able to bring him a fresh supply, and he could continue his holiday.
Craig was identified from CCTV footage, arrested and interviewed.
The court heard she felt bad when the contents were explained to her, and her emotions got the better of her. She said she had not realised what was inside. She made admissions and apologised.
In April 2024, Craig gained access to the neonatal intensive care unit at the Coombe Hospital and stole a handbag belonging to a mother who had left it unattended while she went to care for her child.
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The bag contained her purse, bank cards, holy medals and vouchers. The woman became aware her bag was missing when notifications appeared on her phone that her cards were being tapped at nearby shops.
Craig was identified on CCTV using the card in shops.
In March 2023, Craig distracted staff at a city centre restaurant while a co-accused went inside and grabbed cash totalling €2,200 from the manager, who was counting it.
Craig had asked to use the toilet prior to this and spotted the woman counting cash as she walked around.
On another occasion, Craig was attempting to use cards at a store, and when they were declined, she used the opportunity to grab €470 from the till.
Many of the remaining thefts involved Craig gaining access to staff areas of businesses and restaurants and stealing personal items and bags from staff lockers. She also took handbags from people in restaurants and cafés while they ate their meals.
The victims were at a loss of thousands of euros, wallets, bank cards, cash and personal items.
Keith Spencer BL, defending, said in these offences, Craig's aim was to offend undisturbed, avoiding detection and confrontation. He said she was not vigilant in avoiding detection long-term, and is clearly visible on CCTV of the thefts and is sometimes looking directly into the camera.
Mr Spencer said Craig knows what a nuisance she has been to the city centre and society. He said she had plagued businesses and tourists visiting the city, making it a negative experience for many.
He said Craig has had her own share of negative experience. He outlined how the death of her brother had caused a relapse into drug use, and the offences were committed in a bid for money or items to convert to money for drugs.
He said that when she was not offending, she was procuring drugs.
Mr Spencer said Craig had become involved in petty theft at a young age and began abusing substances. He said when she began using crack cocaine, it had a devastating effect on her life.
He said that after release from a previous sentence, she started working in a hairdresser, but her brother's death had sent her back into the vicious cycle of drug addiction.
He said her mother is supportive and will be there to assist her on her release.
He said his client is embarrassed by her situation and wants to be a good role model for younger members of her family.
Counsel said she is capable of learning and aspired to a qualification in hairdressing.
She wishes to live a different life to the chaotic one she currently has. She has not had drug treatment in the past.