A woman has been jailed for two years for her role in the "robbery with menace" of a teenage girl who was slapped, threatened with a stick, and had her hair pulled before a confirmation necklace was grabbed from her neck.
Cork Circuit Criminal Court heard that Natasha Morey, 30, was with 36-year-old Michelle Harrington in a wooded area by the Mardyke skate park in the city at around 3.30pm on 3 September 2023.
The women approached two 15-year-old girls and a male friend.
Detective Garda Patrick Houlihan said that the teenagers were told that they would be given "safe passage" if they handed over money.
They gave the women the contents of their pockets, which totalled just under €10.
One of the girls gave her bus money. When she said that was all she had on her, the women insisted that she was lying.
Det Gda Houlihan said that one of the girls was "grabbed and her face was slapped. She was threatened with a stick, and a chain worth €300 was pulled from her neck."
The group then left the area. However, the women chased them and again threatened to "give them a slap".
The young people gave a description of the suspects who were identified as Morey of Liffey Park, Mayfield in Cork, and her co-accused, Harrington, who has since been jailed for three years for her role in the offence.
Prosecuting barrister Emmet Boyle, SC, said that Harrington was the "main driver" in the offence.
Morey has 17 previous convictions. However, this is her first offence before the Circuit Court.
Defence counsel Seamus Roche, SC, said that Morey was "very sorry for her involvement" in the case.
He described her background as troubled and stressed that she fully accepted her part in the offence. He emphasised that Harrington was "the main protagonist."
"She (Morey) is very sorry. She could have done more to restrain the other lady and she was involved herself.
Morey is on a methadone programme in prison arising out of a heroin addiction. She pleaded guilty to three counts of robbery.
Victim impact statements were handed in to Judge Dermot Sheehan.
One of the girls told Judge Sheehan that she only felt safe with her parents and was "nervous" outside of the house.
The court heard that the stolen necklace was given to the girl by a grandmother who has since passed away.
Judge Sheehan said that the two women were "equally responsible" but that he would "reflect the lesser participation" of Morey in the offence.
He jailed Morey for four years, suspending the last two years of the sentence.
