Suspended sentence for clerk who stole from city solicitor
Galway Bay fm newsroom - A former book-keeper has been given a suspended six-month sentence for stealing over 12 thousand euro, while employed in a city solicitor's office.
39-year-old, Colette Conroy, from Tawnaghbawn, Cashel, pleaded guilty before Galway Circuit Criminal Court in October last year to five sample charges of theft.
The money was stolen from Patrick Keane, Keane Solicitors, Hardiman House, Eyre Square, between November, 2008 and January, 2010.
Garda Pauline dePaor gave evidence at the time that Conroy had been employed as book-keeper and financial controller at the office.
During an inspection by the Law Society of the solicitor's office in January 2010 it was discovered funds had gone missing.
A Garda investigation revealed Conroy had made numerous unauthorised money transfers to her own bank account.
She had also written herself cheques from the company's cheque book totalling more than 12 thousand euro.
Conroy was charged with 21 counts of theft and pleaded guilty to five sample charges before the Circuit Criminal Court.
At the time, Senior Counsel Paul Flannery, defending, said his client's workload had increased without any increase in her salary.
He said she had misunderstood a verbal agreement she had with her employer and took the money for herself.
The matter had been adjourned in October 2012, for a year to allow Conroy time to repay the full amount, and it has since been repaid.
Judge Rory McCabe imposed a suspended six-month sentence on each of the five charges.