Emma Louise McLoughlin (30), from Crozon Park in Sligo, told the Sunday World that her gambling “got out of control” which led to her stealing the money.

Ms McLoughlin, who has been given until July to get her affairs in order before she starts the sentence, also said she gave birth to her youngest son just five weeks ago and is terrified of the prospect of going to prison.

“I’m trying to get my sh*t together before I go to jail. My mental health is really bad. I’m only five weeks after having a baby as well. He was only two weeks old when I was in for it,” she said.

McLoughlin was sentenced to three years in prison with one year suspended at Sligo Circuit Court earlier this month for stealing €66,595 from a community playschool where she worked over a six-month period.

The case had been adjourned from previous sittings to allow McLoughlin pay compensation. However, she hadn’t kept to the schedule and Judge Keenan Johnson said his patience was at an end with her.

The court heard McLoughlin had also traded in her car and had used some of the proceeds of the sale for gambling.

Judge Johnson said he was sick to the teeth of getting lame excuses from the defendant.

“I am really sick of the excuses. Every opportunity has been given to her but she throws it back in the court’s face,” he said.

He pointed out that the defendant’s latest offer at paying compensation, €40 a week, would take over 30 years to pay back.

“The money is gone but she can still afford to buy drink and take cocaine. Nothing adds up with this lady,” he said.

However, Ms McLoughlin told the Sunday World that she hadn’t taken any drugs over the past year.

“What the papers wrote and what the judge was saying in court [about taking drugs], it was stuff sorted out in the previous sentence [hearing].

“They were saying about the drugs and drinking. I was pregnant, I’ve been off it for over a year. He said I was still doing it every night.”

She said she felt the two-year sentence was overly harsh.

“There was a girl up before me who knocked someone down, off her head on drugs, and left her paralysed and she got a suspended sentence.”

The court heard Ms McLoughlin had made some repayments but the amount outstanding is €61,800.

“They got their money back from the insurance. The judge said it in court. I was trying to make repayments but the judge still said no.

“The judge was on their side from the start. There’s nothing I can do.”

A previous court heard that McLoughlin was on the committee at Kilmacowen Community Preschool and Play Group, and stole the money between from June 16, 2020 to December 2020.

She said she lost her job as a beautician during lockdown and became addicted to online gambling and used money from the creche to feed her habit.

She thought she would be able to pay the money back and as she started chasing her losses things spiralled out of control.

The court heard she gambled regularly and was also buying “stupid things” through online shopping and also traded in an old car for a new car. She paid €8,000 for the car after the trade-in and used some of the creche’s money to make the payment.

She sold the car for €14,000 in July of that year and used the money to buy a second car worth €2,500. When asked where the balance was she said it was now ‘gone’ after she spent it on gambling.

At the latest hearing, the judge said the court had previously been told the defendant was bi-polar but no evidence was ever produced to back this up having been pleaded on a previous occasion.

“I really take exception to the court being misled and then expecting leniency, which is a two-way street,” he said.

However, Ms McLoughlin told the Sunday World that she was not trying to mislead the court.

She must present herself at Sligo Garda Station at 10am on July 9, from where she will be brought to prison.