Jail sentence for woman who opened Pringles comes under fire
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Fiona Ní Chinnéide
A two-month prison sentence for a woman who opened a tube of Pringles in a supermarket without purchasing it has come under fire from penal reform campaigners.
The Irish Penal Reform Trust (IPRT) told TheJournal.ie that the prison sentence makes “no social or economic sense”.
Kathleen McDonagh, 24, pleaded guilty before Cork District Court to causing criminal damage by opening a €1.50 tube of Pringles in a Tesco supermarket.
Noting her 14 previous theft convictions, Judge Brian O’Shea sentenced her to four months in prison, with the last two months suspended.
Fiona Ní Chinnéide, IPRT deputy executive director, said: “It’s a poor use of taxpayer money when community service has proven to be a more cost effective response, particularly for women who offend.”
She pointed out that judges have been obliged since 2011 to consider community service “in lieue” of sentences of less than 12 months.
She added: “What’s important is that it’s not about letting anyone off the hook. It’s about the most effective response to crime.”
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