A Trinity College student who stole a mailbag from a postman's moped with her boyfriend has escaped a prison sentence.
Ashley Richardson (28), of Rollins Villas, Sallynoggin and Nicholas Bowe (29), formerly of Sarsfield Street, Sallynoggin, pleaded guilty to theft of the mail sack containing between 500 and 600 letters in the Leopardstown area on August 22nd, 2002.
Judge Michael told at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hundreds of people had been affected by the "anti-social" theft and the defendants had not co-operated in recovery of the mail.
Judge White directed that Richardson, a single mother who is studying for a degree at TCD, is to perform community service and imposed a two year sentence on Bowe, which he suspended on condition that he enter into a good behaviour bond.
Garda Cara Kiernan told Mr Vincent Heneghan BL, prosecuting, that a postman from the Foxrock sorting office had stopped for breakfast at a Leopardstown shop and parked his moped outside the shop. He discovered that a bag of mail had been stolen from the moped upon his return.
Gardaí obtained video footage from the shop and were able to identify a man and woman in a red car making off with the sack of mail.
The defendants were arrested and taken to Dún Laoghaire Garda Station where three cheques were found on Richardson. She admitted owning the car seen in video footage but made no further admissions. Bowe maintained his right to silence during questioning. No mail lost in the theft was recovered.
Judge White heard Richardson, having dealt with an addiction to heroin, had completed a Trinity College access course and is now studying for a degree at the university. She had been involved with "negative influences" and stole the mail bag to, "prove herself one of the crowd". Several testimonies attesting to her good character were handed in.