A woman, who has several previous convictions and is mother to a large family, has been sentenced to two years in prison for attempted theft.
Judge Michael White said Marinela Sardaru had shown a total lack of respect to the law and her own children.
However, he suspended 15 months of the sentence because of her family circumstances.
In August of 2005, 26-year-old Marinela Sardaru entered the post office in the small village of Finea in Co Westmeath with a number of others, including her 15-month-old baby.
While most of the group distracted 62-year-old Vincent Gaffney and his wife Joan, who were working in the post office at the time, Ms Sardaru went into the adjoining house.
When Mr Gaffney went in he found her trying to steal a safe with nearly €10,000 in cash and lottery cards.
Sardaru, who has an address in Dolphin's Barn in Dublin, was convicted in Mullingar last month of attempted theft. She had six other previous convictions.
At her sentencing hearing in Dundalk today, her counsel Ken Fogarty said his client still did not accept she was guilty. He said she was a mother to six children, one of whom has special needs, and she was a caring, loving mother.
Judge Michael White said this was a pre-mediated crime and Mr and Mrs Gaffney were traumatised by what happened. He said he would suspend a large portion of her sentence because of her family.
