A young woman who stole toys from a shop shortly before Christmas crashed into a car as she tried to drive away from the scene.

She was jailed today for 11 months.

Julianne O’Farrell of 8 Marble Hall Park, South Douglas Rd, Cork, was stopped at the scene of the collision by store security staff and the stolen toys were recovered.

Sergeant Gearóid Davis said that on Dec 7, 2018, Garda Brendan Murray attended the scene of a theft of €346 worth of toys from Smyths at Kinsale Rd Business Park, Cork.

Sgt Davis said O’Farrell got into a car parked outside the store and reversed into a car passing behind her. O’Farrell wanted the other driver to accompany her from the scene to South Doc but the other driver refused and said they should wait until gardaí arrived.

O’Farrell, 27, admitted multiple counts of shoplifting and was jailed for 11 months. The sentence will run concurrently with a 10-month term imposed earlier this month for other thefts committed by the same defendant, Julianne O’Farrell of 8 Marble Hall Park, South Douglas Rd, Cork.

She pleaded guilty to five charges of stealing goods and other counts related to crashing her car while driving away with toys stolen from Smyths. She also admitted thefts at Penneys in Wilton, Iceland on Douglas Rd, Aldi on Tory Top Rd and Next in Blackpool.

Sgt Davis said she had 30 previous theft convictions.

Shane Collins-Daly, solicitor, asked for as much leniency as possible saying the accused has three young children, including one born eight weeks ago.

As well as the jail sentence, Judge Olann Kelleher also imposed an 11-month driving ban on her.