ATM robbery could land hotel boss in jail

A FORMER hotel manager, who stole €42,260 from an ATM for which he had sole responsibility was told by a judge yesterday there was no guarantee he would not be jailed.

Alan O’Neill took the money over a six-month period from an ATM machine at McSorley’s Hotel and Nightclub, College Street, Killarney, Co Kerry. He pleaded guilty before Judge James O’Connor at Killarney court to a number of charges of stealing the money, property of Patrick Sheahan, his employer, between May 5, 2003, and November 14, 2003.

O’Neill, in his twenties, of Lakeview Villas, Aghadoe, Killarney, had paid back all the money, Supt Michael O’Donovan, prosecuting, told the court.

The superintendent said O’Neill was manager of the hotel and responsible for overseeing and stocking its ATM machine. Amounts taken over the period ranged from €220 to almost €10,000. He had no previous convictions. O’Neill’s solicitor, Eoin Brosnan, described it as a very sad case. He said his client had acted completely stupidly and totally out of character. He started by taking a small sum after getting into financial difficulties, which he intended replacing, but then took bigger sums when he realised how easy it was.

He had made a full restitution with the help of his family and a lending institution. Mr Brosnan said O’Neill now had a new business, a bar in Killarney and he had a fiancée and a child.

Det Garda John Evans, who investigated the case, said O’Neill was fully co-operative from the start. “He put his hands up and said, ‘I was expecting you to come at some stage’,’’ the detective added. A witness also said O’Neill had not been trained properly for the management position and was out of his depth. “He comes from a very good family, a very old Killarney family, and they have stood by him,’’ Det Garda Evans said. Judge O’Connor remarked there was a spate of larcenies over a six-month period and it was hard to reconcile that with the glowing reports given about O’Neill in mitigation. The judge adjourned the case for a probation service report to the same court on June 21 next. “He could end up going to jail. I’m not giving any guarantee,’’ Judge O’Connor warned.