A woman who pulled out bundles of €50 notes to peel off €100 towards securing her release on bail was ordered by a judge to “hand the whole lot over, and the rest” - in a reference to sterling that she had separated from her euros and placed inside her blouse in court.

Judge James O’Connor earlier said the Romanian woman was “bleeding the system” and could well understand English without the need for an interpreter.

He also refused the woman’s request, conveyed through her solicitor, to return a small amount of the money to pay for the bus back to Millstreet, Co Cork.

Sgt Kieran O’Connell, who was asked by the judge to count the money, found a total of €1,450 in €50 denominations and a further £140 in sterling.

Terca Munteanu (38), Mill Road, Millstreet, Co Cork, was before Tralee District Court on Tuesday, in custody on foot of a bench warrant, having failed to appear on May 11th last.

She had been remanded on bail on March 2nd when she appeared on a charge of stealing Hennessy Brandy and washing powder with a total value of €110 from Centra, Main Street, Dingle on December 28th, 2015.

‘Bleeding the system’

At the start of the proceedings, after being told by solicitor Pat Enright that the matter could not be concluded until a Romanian interpreter was present, Judge O’Connor rounded on Ms Munteanu saying: “These people couldn’t give two hoots… Madam, you’re bleeding the system.”

The solicitor said his client had good reason not to appear on May 11th as she had been in Romania at the time to sort out travel documents. She was pleading guilty to the theft.

When she started to cry, the judge said he had seen “too much of that old stuff”, and said to her: “You understand English very well.”

However, agreeing to defer the matter for an interpreter, he said he was remanding her in custody with consent to bail on a bond of €1,000.

Judge O’Connor asked whether she had cash for bail and Mr Enright, after consulting with Ms Munteanu said she told him she did not have much, but she could offer €100.

Dressed in long skirt and blouse, the woman stepped forward to sign the bail bond.

“Don’t mind your sobbing… Your English is not that bad at all, Madam, not that bad at all,” the judge said.

Sterling placed in blouse

Ms Munteanu signed the bond and then took out bundles of notes from a purse and peeled off €100, putting back the euro, and and placed the sterling inside the left side of her blouse.

The judge said: “Hold on! Take all that out ...and the rest that you put back in.” After the money had been counted, the judge ordered all of it be handed to the court for her bail.

An application for legal aid had been deferred until the next hearing in June.