Derry: Pair avoid jail over church charity box theft
- Published
The theft occured at St Patrick's Church in Pennyburn
A man and a woman have avoided being sent to prison after stealing money from a church charity box.
Florea Manolescu, 42, and Mariana Zamfir, 40, both with addresses at Lawrence Hill in Londonderry, appeared in court on Thursday charged with one count of theft on April 25.
The court heard police were called to St Patrick's Church in Pennyburn by the parish priest.
A sum of money had been taken from a St Vincent de Paul charity box.
Police were shown CCTV footage of a man and a woman taking the money and then fleeing in a car.
The police later discovered the car parked in Lawrence Hill.
Both the defendants were found inside a property and a sum of money was found.
Londonderry Magistrates' Court heard police recovered £430, $100 (£80) and €100 (£88), which was believed to have been taken from the charity box.
After being arrested, both defendants admitted it was them on the CCTV footage.
'Serious case of theft'
Manolescu was seen on CCTV using an instrument to get money from the charity box as Zamfir appeared to be acting as a lookout.
Defence solicitor Seamus Quigley said neither of the accused had any criminal record in Northern Ireland.
He said they had come here to visit relatives and intended to return returning next week depending on the court's decision.
The solicitor said it was "an extremely serious case of theft" from a well-known charity that "deals with the poorest in society".
"There is very little I can say in relation to the offence," Mr Quigley said.
District Judge Barney McElholm said that with the number of tourists in the city the euros and dollars discovered could well have been donations.
He ruled that all the seized money be given to St Vincent de Paul.
Manolescu was sentenced to six months in prison suspended for two years, while Zamfir was sentenced to three months in prison suspended for two years.