Judge lauds AIB’s ‘generosity’ in mum-of-12 cheque forgery scam
Separated mum Maria Foley, aged 40, from Bishopscourt Road in Bishopstown, Cork, was given a four-year sentence yesterday on each of three counts of theft, forgery and obtaining money by false pretences.
But Judge Patrick Moran suspended the sentences on the grounds it would only harm her children for her to be jailed, despite the serious nature of the offences.
Ms Foley was working as a home help for the couple, who were aged 92 and 89 at the time, in Oct-Nov 2008.
Her crimes came to light when the couple’s daughter, who had been paying for the work, queried a cheque with AIB. It emerged the amount had been altered from €198 to €798.
It was then discovered that a number of cheques from different cheque books, in accounts belonging to the couple, had been stolen and made payable to Ms Foley.
Cork Circuit Criminal Court was told she had tendered them in the Togher area, where she lived at the time, to a coal merchant, a shop and a GAA club&. There were 44 cheques stolen and 25 cashed, leading to a loss of €18,580.
Detective Sergeant Tim Murphy of Bishopstown Garda Station said the main reason Ms Foley offered was that it was coming up to Christmas and she wanted to buy presents for her 10 children at the time. She now has 12 children ranging from a baby, born this year, up to the eldest, aged 24.
The court was told her husband, from whom she was separated, was not supporting the family financially. She admitted everything when questioned and pleaded guilty two years ago to 16 sample charges — four of theft and six each of forgery and obtaining money by false pretences.
Judge Moran also suspended two concurrent prison sentences imposed by Cork District Court for two similar offences in 2008.
On the money taken from the couple, Det Sgt Murphy said AIB had “taken the hit” even though the bank did not have to take full responsibility if the cheques were robbed. The judge said this was very generous of the bank to carry the loss which the family suffered.
“It’s an extraordinary act of generosity considering the current state of AIB and I haven’t been one to praise them in the past.”
