Woman’s suitcase and bank cards stolen as she gives birth in Dublin hospital

The mum was a patient at The Rotunda when her belongings were stolen.

A new mum was the victim of a theft at a Dublin maternity hospital, a court has heard. As she gave birth to her first child, her suitcase, baby's clothes, and her bank card were all stolen. It is understood the mum was in the operating theatre when the robbery took place at The Rotunda. When she returned from delivering her baby, she discovered that her suitcase was missing. She later received a text from her bank alerting her about fraudulent purchases that were made on her card. The thief visited nearby shops and made numerous purchases, amounting to €165. 31-year-old Stacey Fitzgerald and 50-year-old Laurence Doran have been charged with the theft. It is understood the incident took place at the maternity hospital on September 10th, 2021. A court also heard that Fitzgerald attempted to steal from multiple shops in the north inner city on the same day. Ms. Fitzgerald was staying on the same ward as the victim. She was being treated as an in-patient when she stole the woman's belongings. The suitcase had clothes for her newborn, personal items and money too. The pair were caught stealing the bag on CCTV in the hospital. Neither Ms. Fitzgerald nor Laurence Dolan have entered their pleas, The Sunday World confirmed. Judge Bryan Smyth has adjourned the case until both Ms. Fitzgerald and Mr. Dolan enter a plea.