Bookmakers launch court action over missing €562k

Bookmakers Boylesports have launched High Court action against one of their branch managers over claims of missing monies worth €562,200.

Last night Boylesports obtained orders preventing Ronan Crowley, who is the manager of the Castle St Shop in Cork City, from reducing or dissipating his assets below €650,000. It claims Mr Crowley deliberately failed to lodge monies taken in at the branch with its bank and misappropriated monies for his own use.

Mr Justice Michael White also granted Boylesports orders restraining Mr Crowley, with an address at Carrig Downs, Carrigtwohill, Co Cork, from dealing with or dissipating any monies allegedly misappropriated by of him from his employers.

The orders were granted on an ex parte basis (one side only represented in court). The judge adjourned the matter to next Monday.

The judge also gave Boylesports permission to inform various financial institutions about the making of the orders. This was to help the company track down the money it claims is missing.

Seeking the orders, barrister Paul Fogarty Bl for Boylesports said the company commenced an inquiry after a pattern of serious irregularities involving the Castle St Branch were revealed, counsel said.

From the investigations it became clear a number of lodgment slips uploaded on the branch’s Electronic Point of Sale, which calculates the amount to be lodged with banks, had no corresponding lodgment slips with Boylesports’ bank.

Counsel said the irregularities date from between Nov 2011 and August of this year. The irregularities did not take place when Mr Crowley was on holidays. It is also claimed Mr Crowley is the only person with the access and opportunity to misappropriate these funds.

Mr Crowley has been with the company since 2007 and was made a manager of the Castle St branch in 2009. He has been suspended as a result of the allegations, counsel added.

A spokesman for Boylesports said that afterwards the company had taken steps to deal with the financial irregularities it had discovered in the last week. No customer accounts had been affected, the company stressed. The spokesman added a complaint in relation to the irregularity has been made to the Garda.