Woman on 'merry-go-round of offending' in Louth jailed

A drug addict with mental health issues, who Judge Nicola Andrews described as being on a merry-go-round of offending in the community after she is released from custody, has been jailed for six months at Dundalk district court.

Samantha Morgan (37) with an address at the Simon Community, Barrack Street, Dundalk was prosecuted for 43 offences, including theft and public order matters in Dundalk and Drogheda.

The defendant had been released on bail in mid November, to enable her to engage with the Drogheda Department of Psychiatry, Crosslanes however her solicitor said she never made it there, as she succumbed to her addiction on the same day.

He outlined how the mum-of-two has suffered with her mental health for some time and has been diagnosed with schizophrenia and stressed that when she is not under the influence, his client is a very different lady and in terms of her addiction and mental health conditions "one was feeding off the other".

Judge Andrews who said she had reluctantly admitted her to bail, on condition that she engaged with services at Crosslanes, said "We're on a merry-go-round", where the defendant does well in custody but while in the community and in unstable circumstances, she doesn't engage with the services available.

The Judge added that her remorse was very evident, from her reaction to some of the evidence read out in court about her behaviour.

Two concurrent sentences of eight months were imposed, with the final two months of each suspended, on Ms Morgan entering a bond to be of good behaviour for 12 months.  The rest of the offences were taken into consideration.

Judge Andrews also made it a condition of the bond, that the defendant stays out of West Street in Drogheda and Clanbrassil Street in Dundalk and out of all Tesco and Aldi stores.