Kildare man jailed for stealing money from elderly woman 

A Co Kildare man has been jailed for a year after he stole from a woman in her 80s after claiming he would use her money to buy her a new kitchen but instead used the money to pay off a drug debt.

Anthony Brennan (50) Beechpark Wood, Leixlip, Co Kildare, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to theft of €6,500 from the woman on 5 October 2021. He has previous convictions for speeding, drugs, robbery and possession of stolen property.

Garda Kevin Curran told Morgan Shelley BL prosecuting that Mr Brennan first met the woman when he was contacted by an acquaintance who advised him that the woman needed a leak fixed in her kitchen.

Mr Brennan fixed the leak and then helped the woman fill out an insurance claim giving her a quote for a new kitchen. He then called to her home to say he would purchase the kitchen on her behalf and fit it later.

Mr Brennan went with the woman and her daughter to her bank where she withdrew the cash and handed him over €6,000. He never purchased the kitchen.

Gda Curran said that Mr Brennan has paid back small amounts to the woman but after making a payment of €200 in December 2021 he was threatened by a younger member of the woman’s family. Mr Brennan has not made any further payments to the woman.

Mr Brennan was arrested and gave a voluntary statement to gardaí in which he said he was under threat due to a drug debt that he had run up. He said these people knew where his mother lived and they threatened to take his van that he used for work.

Ian Woodland BL defending said his client suffered a significant trauma when he was 19 years old and turned to drugs at a young age to cope.

He accepted that he took advantage of a vulnerable elderly lady. He said he was hoping to be able to pay back the victim but he didn’t manage to get the funds together.

Judge Martin Nolan accepted that Brennan had pleaded guilty but said he does deserve a custodial term.

“It was shameful behaviour on his behalf. He knew exactly what he was doing and he knew it was wrong,” Judge Nolan said.

He said a headline sentence of two or three years was warranted before he jailed the defendant for a year.