A woman who was convicted in her absence at Enniskillen Magistrates Court earlier this month has appeared to be sentenced.

Helen Doyle (45), with an address of Coleshill Park, Enniskillen, was convicted of theft and attempted theft in relation to incidents on November 11 and 17, 2022.

Doyle was due to contest the charges on July 3 but failed to appear, and was convicted by Deputy District Judge Austin Kennedy.

She was accused of stealing numerous items to the value of £239.42 from B&M Bargains, Enniskillen on November 11, 2022, and the attempted theft of four vapes totalling £20 on November 17, 2022.

She was detected on CCTV footage putting items into a bag and leaving without paying for them.

When police attended the store to speak to the reporting person and view CCTV footage, they were able to identify Doyle due to a previous incident they dealt with that involved her, the court heard.

Doyle was arrested on November 18 for the theft and attempted theft, and made a largely no comment interview.

Her barrister told the court that he had hoped to come to some resolution on July 3, but Doyle did not appear in court due to health issues.

Mr. Rafferty said Doyle had significant physical and mental health issues. He added his client had indicated her remorse for what took place.

Judge Kennedy, who also heard the case on Monday, said the charges were serious matters as stores have “thousands upon thousands” of thefts which cost them money.

For the two charges, Doyle was given a two-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, and ordered to pay £239.42 in compensation.