WOMAN GIVEN SUSPENDED SENTENCE FOR CITY SADDLERY THEFT

Date Published: 22-Nov-2012

A 48-year-old book keeper has been given a suspended two-year sentence for stealing over €56,000 from a Galway business to feed her gambling addiction.

Fiona White, from Shrule Grove, Shrule appeared before Galway Circuit Criminal Court.

Fiona White had initially faced 46 charges relating to the theft and forgery of cheques for amounts ranging from €600 to €2,150 from Olympic Saddlery, Briarhill Business Park, Galway on dates between January 1, 2009 and January 10, 2011.She pleaded guilty at Galway Circuit Criminal Court in July to ten sample charges, while admitting the facts in the remaining charges and the matter was adjourned for the preparation of reports.

Garda Padraig Healy told the sentencing hearing that the deception came to light in January 2011 when the owner of Olympic Saddlery received a call from the Bank of Ireland about a cheque made payable to White.

Bank staff felt the signature was questionable and when the woman checked her cheque book she noticed 41 cheques were missing and €56,299 had been taken out of her account.

White, he said, had been employed for some time by a book keeping company who did the accounts for Olympic Saddlery.

The Bank of Ireland, the court was told, had fully reimbursed Olympic Saddlery.

Defence barrister, Geri Silke said White had found herself in debt when she started gambling more money than she was earning and she felt dreadful for these offences.

Judge Gerard Griffin noted from a probation report handed into court that White’s risk of reoffending was low.

He sentenced her to two years in prison, which he suspended on condition she keep the peace for five years, continue to engage with her counsellor and continue to take medication prescribed by her doctor.