Former GAA club barman avoids jail for stealing €45k

A former barman, who siphoned off over €45,000 from St Vincent’s hurling and football club when he was working there, was yesterday given a three-year suspended jail sentence and a 240-hour community service order.

Ken Duffy, aged 36, originally from Greenmount, Cork, and now living in an apartment at The Square, Ballincollig, Co Cork, appeared before Cork Circuit Criminal Court several times on this matter over the last few years. Yesterday the sentencing judge said this kind of adjourning of cases brought its own stress to accused persons. So far he has paid back over €13,000.

Judge David Riordan said: “He was in a position of trust. In a fairly short period he has siphoned off a large amount of money which apparently had not shown up on the radar at St Vincent’s hurling and football club.