Mayo fragrance theft ‘a wake-up call for young couple’ - judge states

A YOUNG couple with no previous convictions have received suspended prison sentences after admitting their involvement in the theft of more than €2,400 worth of perfumes and aftershave from a Castlebar department store.

Lorena Voins and Iulian Samu of 33 Fana Glas, Ballybane, Galway, appeared before Castlebar District Court on Wednesday, January 7, in connection with a shoplifting incident at Shaw’s Department Store on September 5, 2025.

Solicitor Mr. Gary Mulchrone told the court that the defendants are a couple with no children and have been together four years while working for Samu’s father in Galway.

Court presenter Sergeant McShane outlined that at approximately 4.55 p.m. on the date in question, two couples entered Shaw’s Department Store with a buggy.

A quantity of perfumes and aftershave was concealed within the buggy, and a total of 27 items with a retail value of €2,403.26 was taken.

The court heard that security staff followed the group as they left the premises and gardaí were contacted. The accused were apprehended shortly afterwards and all of the stolen goods were recovered.

Mr. Mulchrone said neither accused had previous convictions and they both accepted the facts as outlined. He told the court that a child present during the incident belonged to the other couple involved and was not connected with his clients.

Samu, aged 23, is of Romanian extraction and was born in Ireland. The court heard that his father had worked hard to establish a food distribution business in Galway, in which Samu is employed and resides with his father. Voins, aged 25, is originally from Romania and also works in the family business.

Mr. Mulchrone said both defendants had foolishly gone along with the other couple to Castlebar and had become involved in what he described as a substantial theft.

He said they had complied strictly with bail conditions over the previous five months and had not come to garda attention in that time. They were anxious to have the matter finalised and were willing to engage in restorative justice if the court wished.

Judge Sandra Murphy questioned the use of a specially concealed compartment within the buggy and noted the premeditated element of using this secret part of the buggy.

Judge Murphy noted the defendants had come before the court with no previous convictions and accepted they were not the principal organisers of the joint enterprise. However, she described the use of the buggy for concealment as a significant aggravating factor.

Mr. Mulchrone told the court that Samu’s father had offered €2,000 by way of compensation, with the consent of the parties, for the court to deal with as it saw fit.

Taking into account both the aggravating and mitigating factors, Judge Murphy convicted Samu and Voins and imposed a sentence of five months’ imprisonment, suspended for 12 months. She also made a compensation order of €2,000.

Judge Murphy said the case should serve as a serious wake-up call for both defendants and warned that any further offending would have grave consequences.

* Published under the Courts Reporting Scheme.