Mary McDonagh, aged 61, of 32 Droim Chaoin, Rahoon, Galway, pleaded guilty to six sample charges of theft from the elderly woman who lives alone in the Salthill area of the city, on dates between April 2012 and January 2013, when she first appeared before Galway Circuit Criminal Court in January.

Facts in the remaining 20 charges were admitted by McDonagh.

The amounts involved in the six charges varied from €1,000 to €4,000.

The amounts stolen in the remaining charges varied from €300 to €4,000.

McDonagh returned to the woman’s home persistently, sometimes on consecutive days, and on one occasion, twice on one day in December 2012, to steal €2,700 on the first occasion and €300 on the second.

McDonagh, who claims she gambled the money away, brought €350 to court, but that was viewed as an insult by Judge Seán Ó Donnabháin, who gave the con-artist three weeks to come up with more money.

McDonagh brought a further €3,650 to court yesterday but Judge Rory McCabe said that was a derisory figure given the nature of the offences, which he described as “heartless and mean”.

Garda Padraig Healy told the court the accused had called to the victim’s home one day claiming she had just come from hospital and needed money to get home to Moycullen. The elderly woman gave her €50.

McDonagh then began to call regularly over the next 10 months looking for money. She always rang ahead to ensure the victim was alone before calling. She told the victim not to tell her children and promised to repay her.

The victim borrowed €1,500 from a neighbour when her credit union account was depleted to just €5 in January last year, and the alarm was raised when she later asked her son for €1,500.

Garda Healy said he was waiting for McDonagh when she walked into the victim’s sitting room one day looking for the €1,500.

He said the woman was always afraid not to have money for McDonagh when she called and became anxious and was not sleeping well because of her.

The victim, he said, was now relieved McDonagh no longer called on her.

Geri Silke, defending, said her client had gambled the money away, but her family had gathered €3,650 in compensation and she would also repay €20 a week. She had 11 children and 17 grandchildren, the court was told.

The victim’s family indicated that amount was insulting to their mother, who was not present in court, and they did not believe McDonagh had no more money. They expected at least 25%, or €10,000, could be repaid.

Judge McCabe agreed with the victim’s children who were in court. He said the offer of €3,650 and €20 a week was derisory.

He warned McDonagh she was looking at two years in prison for each charge to run concurrently if she did not come up with the balance or €10,000 by May 20. He directed the €3,650 be handed over to Garda Healy and asked for the victim’s attitude prior to sentencing in May.

“My attitude then will depend on hers,” he said.