Woman rakes up 648 convictions

Grab All Association · 15-07-2019 8:15am #1

indo wrote:

Serial thief Jennifer Armstrong (44), who has one of the longest criminal records ever seen in this country, was arrested for shoplifting wine just two days after she was released from a 16-month prison sentence.

Among her staggering litany of past offences, described as an Irish "record", Armstrong has been convicted for assault and stealing from and harassing the public around Dublin city centre.
Judge Carol Anne Coolican spared her jail for her latest offence, giving her a one-month suspended sentence after Armstrong begged for "one last chance".

https://m.independent.ie/irish-news/courts/serial-thief-handed-one-last-chance-as-she-walks-free-after-648th-conviction-38312544.html

Clearly this person will never change and she will just continue to steal, assault and be a burden to us the taxpayers.

The only solution for people like this is a long sentence to the central mental health hospital with/or psychiatric drugs to inhibit their behaviors or a lobotomy.

eamonnq · 15-07-2019 8:16am

Must have a good rake.

Tell me how · 15-07-2019 8:23am

Grab All Association wrote: »

The only solution for people like this is a long sentence to the central mental health hospital with/or psychiatric drugs to inhibit their behaviors or a lobotomy.

She's not going to change, because she doesn't want to change.

Why suggest wasting the limited resources of mental health services in a B Movie film plot just because she is happy to be in and out of jail.

She'll continue to plead for leniency when caught, but doesn't care if she gets it or not.

Turner · 15-07-2019 9:14am

648 convictions at anywhere between 5 snd 15 (sometimes uo to 30) adjournments per conviction, not to mention bench warrants the appeals court, high court bail, once her district court bail is refused etc etc

You are talking thousands of court adjournments and outcomes.

Shes a million euro legal aid bounty!!!

Wouldnt make financial sense to the legal profession to lock her up.

It certainly would make sense to the retail community!

Cork Trucker · 15-07-2019 9:18am

You can be sure she has already offended since this court case was dealt with, to some committing crime is an occupation.

SEPT 23 1989 · 15-07-2019 9:19am

She must get invited to the Law Society’s Christmas party at this stage

Greyfox · 15-07-2019 9:40am

Absolute piece of s**t, she should have a long sentence by now.

Don't worry some fruitcake will be on here soon saying its better to give her one more chance.

And some people think we dont have a lenient legal system

Your Face · 15-07-2019 9:54am

Jaysus, she's 44?!
Looks like one of Macbeth's crones.

Sorry that was a bit rash, I meant, of course, The Scottish Play.

gifted · 15-07-2019 9:55am

10 convictions should automatically warrant a 10 year jail sentence

punisher5112 · 15-07-2019 9:57am

She's 44 she looks in her late 60s....

Hard work that robbing.

BarryD2 · 15-07-2019 10:02am

Needs a bit of lateral thinking - how about a system of assisted emigration, a deal with say Putin to take in recidivists and settle them in Siberia!

dodzy · 15-07-2019 10:03am

Jasus, she’s some hound.

NewbridgeIR · 15-07-2019 10:05am

Another suspended sentence - she's obviously well-connected, comes from a good family, posh or upper class.

Get Real · 15-07-2019 10:06am

Some of my point here is whataboutery I'll concede- but if this woman was in Texas, theresr a good chance she'd be doing a life sentence. Their three strikes law is particularly harsh and can include simple theft.

I understand those who make an argument regarding rehabilitation over punishment. But a happy medium needs to be found in this country.

Surely something warrants a ten year sentence automatically. What do people class as "fair"? 50 convictions?

The fact she's committed 648 crimes- or rather convicted of that amount and probably done many more that she wasn't caught for- is an absolute kick to the victims, the guards, the retail community.

In theory, a six month sentence per offence, would mean 320 years. She'd be locked up long ago.

She commits offences while already being out in bail for others she has before the court.

Each and every time she appears has to be taken on it's merits, and her past offending cannot be used to presume she is guilty this time around, as she still has the same presumption if innocence as anyone else.

I think at some point, if we don't have a ten years for 50 convictions, then at the very least, legislation should allow for anyone with over 50 convictions to be automatically denied bail while their current case is being dealt with. They should still have a "presumption of innocence" with regard to the case and it's technical points. But they should lose their right to bail as a consequence of 50 confirmed crimes in the past.

At what point do the rights of victims and the rights of criminals find a balanced medium? Because at the moment, in court, it's all about the offender.

notsoyoungwan · 15-07-2019 10:10am

Why do you think she needs psychiatric treatment rather than prison? While she has the almost obligatory sob story background trotted out by defence solicitors, there’s nothing to suggest serious mental illness. The picture is one of recidivistic criminal behaviour with no care for the consequences.

py2006 · 15-07-2019 10:13am

If she was a man...

nthclare · 15-07-2019 10:15am

notsoyoungwan wrote: »

Why do you think she needs psychiatric treatment rather than prison? While she has the almost obligatory sob story background trotted out by defence solicitors, there’s nothing to suggest serious mental illness. The picture is one of recidivistic criminal behaviour with no care for the consequences.

The solicitor who defended her last month could be representing the state against her next year.

Its absolutely bonkers the system lol

El_Bee · 15-07-2019 10:15am

Guys, prison doesn't work, they tried prison in america and there's still crime over there. this poor woman clearly suffers from a Difficult home life, Substance abuse issues, Learning difficulties, Having a "bad time of it", she probably has a letter from a social worker saying that she swears she'll turn things around..... THIS time! so lay off the poor woman. No-one is perfect I'm sure you're all no angles, stop being busy bodies and worrying about other people stick to your own lives ok?

Gimme A Pound · 15-07-2019 10:17am

py2006 wrote: »

If she was a man...

It's like a default reaction - no thinking, just shoot.

I think you'll find that there are plenty of men with a massive string of convictions behind them walking the streets, but why bother with the truth when there's a battle of the sexes to be had?!

py2006 · 15-07-2019 10:17am

El_Bee wrote: »

THIS time! so lay off the poor woman. No-one is perfect I'm sure you're all no angles, stop being busy bodies and worrying about other people stick to your own lives ok?

Yea, but we are right angles...

topper75 · 15-07-2019 10:23am

Turner wrote: »

...

Wouldnt make financial sense to the legal profession to lock her up.

It certainly would make sense to the retail community!

This country isn't run for ordinary people. It never was and never will be, whatever colour flag they fly over their big buildings. The system is broadly the same.

But of course that is just me being a populist. I should probably just know my station.

15-07-2019 10:26am

Greyfox wrote: »

Absolute piece of s**t, she should have a long sentence by now.

Don't worry some fruitcake will be on here soon saying its better to give her one more chance.

And some people think we dont have a lenient legal system

Nice Language..... How about checking with the people who served time behind bars for stupid stuff like non payment of fines before praising our "lenient" legal system BTW is it normal now for people to call others they don't even know "a piece of s1ht" Heaven help society......

looksee · 15-07-2019 10:27am

At what point does criminality and recidivism segue into mental illness? And this is not an appeal or an excuse to 'let her off'; she is a liability to shopkeepers, the justice system, the gardai, and herself. There has to come a time when she should be removed to a controlled situation and some attempt made to figure out what is happening in her head that she continues to steal - an activity she is clearly not very good at judging by the number of times she has been caught.

Larbre34 · 15-07-2019 10:34am

In certain countries she wouldn't have any hands by now, in Ireland its 649 strikes and you're out.

I can't help feeling that we need a happy medium.

klaaaz · 15-07-2019 10:34am

gifted wrote: »

10 convictions should automatically warrant a 10 year jail sentence

Get Real wrote: »

Some of my point here is whataboutery I'll concede- but if this woman was in Texas, theresr a good chance she'd be doing a life sentence. Their three strikes law is particularly harsh and can include simple theft.

I understand those who make an argument regarding rehabilitation over punishment. But a happy medium needs to be found in this country.

Surely something warrants a ten year sentence automatically. What do people class as "fair"? 50 convictions?

Are people in the "lock 'em up brigade" willing to pay higher direct income taxes to lock people like the offender up for life/10 years? It costs money to put people in prison and yet the lock 'em up brigade want lower taxes, you can't have both!

NewbridgeIR · 15-07-2019 10:38am

klaaaz wrote: »

Are people in the "lock 'em up brigade" willing to pay higher direct income taxes to lock people like the offender up for life/10 years? It costs money to put people in prison and yet the lock 'em up brigade want lower taxes, you can't have both!

Do people who advocate for higher taxes want to see this additional revenue used for keeping criminals in prison?

patmahe · 15-07-2019 10:39am

The thing is, this is the number of times she was caught and convicted, what about all the times she wasn't caught?

riffmongous · 15-07-2019 10:40am

Spent 27 years in jail already according to the Herald. 88 convictions for theft and 200 for public intoxication. Alcoholic with history of substance abuse.

Wtf ? · 15-07-2019 10:42am

dodzy wrote: »

Jasus, she’s some hound.

The tide would'nt take her out....:D

15-07-2019 10:44am

riffmongous wrote: »

Spent 27 years in jail already according to the Herald. 88 convictions for theft and 200 for public intoxication. Alcoholic with history of substance abuse.

Weird, that would mean she's been in the entire time since she was 17. Must work quick to get caught again each time.

D3V!L · 15-07-2019 10:45am

Does she get a letter from Micky D when she reaches 1000 ?

Woman rakes up 648 convictions

Comments