‘One-woman shoplifting industry’ jailed again for Donegal thefts

A woman with almost 200 previous convictions and once described by a judge as “a one-woman shoplifting industry” has been jailed for the theft of a large cache of alcohol and other items from shops in Donegal.

Lisa Mongan, a 36-year-old with an address at Cashel Park, Letterkenny, was before Letterkenny District Court.

Mongan, whose catalogue of previous includes 150 convictions for theft, appeared via video link from the Dóchas Centre where she is in custody.

Mongan told Judge Emile Daly that she wished to proceed with the matters and plead guilty.

Sergeant Jim Collins outlined the incidents to the court.

On February 17, 2026, Mongan entered Aldi, Ballybofey and placed several items into a large trolley. The cache included 26 bottles of Jameson, five bottles of Smirnoff, two crates of Carlsberg and a number of grocery items. The total value of the items taken was €1,022.

On the same date at McElhinneys Stores, Ballybofey, Mongan stole items valued at €500.

She was also charged with the theft of items worth a combined €1,000 from Lidl, Ballybofey, on January 10, 2026. 

None of the stolen items were recovered, the court heard.

Mongan has 194 previous convictions, including 150 for theft, and had been given temporary release from prison in January, the court was told.

Mr Rory O’Brien, solicitor for Mongan, said that his client should be given “the maximum amount of credit” for what he said was “an exceptionally early guilty plea”.

Mr O’Brien said that Mongan sought to move herself from certain peers and moved to Letterkenny to “adopt a new life” but that many “disruptions and difficulties” befell her.

“This is absolutely no excuse for the offending and she has sought absolute solace in alcohol,” Mr O’Brien said, adding that Mongan has been dealing with the sudden deaths of both her husband and her brother in recent times.

“She is in grief, she is in mourning and she sought to deal with it by drinking,” he said. “When Lisa is sober, she is very polite, understanding and insightful and she has to come to grips with her addiction.

“We are dealing with a broken person and someone who was given no chance in life by the people around her.”

Judge Daly said that there were “not inconsiderable” amounts involved in these incidents. Judge Daly said that Mongan has dealt with them by very early pleas.

“She is before the court with a very serious catalogue of previous for similar matters,” Judge Daly said, adding that there are also some more matters pending for Mongan.

For each of the three incidents, Mongan was sentenced to one month in prison. The sentences are to run consecutively and were backdated to February 26 when she was put into custody.

In September 2018, Judge Paul Kelly said when jailing Mongan: “This lady appears to be a one-woman shoplifting industry. Her offending is extraordinary.”