Thursday, 20th July
Judge questions costs of proceeding with €16 theft case
A judge has raised
her eyebrows over the cost of proceeding with a court case against a woman who
is charged with stealing goods valued in the region of €16 from Tesco in
Castlebar.
The services of an
interpreter will be needed when the case proceeds at Castlebar District Court
in September.
When the matter first
came before Judge Mary Devins, she noted that the bill for an interpreter will
be in the region of €1,600.
Judge Devins wondered
if we are going back to Victorian times where offences against property are
deemed more serious than those against the person.
She then asked Mr.
Vincent Deane, Mayo State Solicitor, for his views on the matter.
Mr. Deane responded
that an offence is an offence and has to be prosecuted.
"If you say you
are not going to prosecute, where do you draw the line?", Mr. Deane asked.
The judge proceeded
to certify the services of an interpreter in the case and listed the matter to
proceed in September.
