A mother-of-one was caught trying to sell €90,000 of stolen gold jewellery to a cash for gold shop, a court has heard.

Kathleen Kiely (31) of Lymington Avenue, London, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to handling stolen property on January 21, 2018. She has no previous convictions.

Garda Sergeant Aidan Carroll told Fiona McGowan BL, prosecuting, that gardaí had placed the Gold Digger jewellery shop in Tallaght under surveillance after receiving information that two men were to call there.

A woman exited a car driven by her former partner and approached the “cash for gold” shop carrying a handbag and a second large bag that appeared to be heavy. She was stopped by gardaí who discovered that the second bag contained a large amount of badly damaged gold jewellery.

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The original value of the gold jewellery was €90,000, but the court heard that due to the damage it suffered, the value was reduced to €37,000. The jewellery was traced to a burglary in Lucan several days earlier.

Kiely had come into the shop the previous day and asked the owner how much he would pay for 18 carat gold, saying her husband had some he wished to sell.

Sgt Carroll agreed with John Griffin BL, defending, that Kiely was not the primary target of gardaí. He accepted that there was no suggestion she was involved with the burglary.

The mother of one lives in London and was attending an engagement party in Ireland with her former partner at the time of the offence.

Mr Griffin said his client was influenced by her former partner Michael Maughan (25) to commit the offence. He said Kiely instructed him to express her remorse and apologies to the victim and the court.

Maughan of Hazel Hill, Tallaght, Dublin, also pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to handling assorted stolen jewellery on January 21, 2018. Judge Melanie Greally sentenced him to four year's imprisonment with the final two suspended.

Judge Karen O'Connor ordered a probation report and adjourned the matter to July 30 next.

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