Man gets six months to repay €8k to employer

A man has been given six months to repay over €8,000 he had stolen from his former employer.

John Kiely, aged 47, was a project manager at Dolphin House Community Development Association when he overpaid himself by transferring cash using online banking. He had been drinking heavily at the time and took the money to pay bills.

Kiely, of Fountain St, Ferrybank, Co Waterford, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to four counts of stealing sums of cash by electrical funds transfer at Dolphin House Community Centre on dates between Jan and Dec 2006. He has no previous convictions and is currently unemployed.

Judge Patricia Ryan adjourned sentencing until October to allow Kiely gather further funds to repay the association after he handed in over €1,800 in court yesterday.

Garda Peter Clifford told Michael Bowman, prosecuting, that gardaí received a complaint from the association in Sept 2007 that Kiely, had overpaid himself by €8,267 the previous year.

Kiely was entitled to a salary of €37,841 at the time, but paid himself a total of €46,108 in 2006. No authorisation had been given for the extra payments.

Kiely had resigned prior to the matter being reported to gardaí and accepted he owed the money which he wanted to repay. He told gardaí during interview he had been drinking heavily and was tempted by the fact the money was there.

Garda Clifford agreed with Simon Brady, defending, that Kiely has not come to any further Garda attention. He also agreed Kiely made full admissions as soon as it was put to him.