€102k taken from bank account, man claims
Sandra Doyle, aged 37, has denied stealing the money from the AIB account of Fergus Brugha, aged 62, over the course of three years.
The trial at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard evidence that the disputed transactions include payments to Ticketmaster, online motor tax, a veterinary clinic, a beauty clinic, a Dundrum credit union account, and mobile phone top ups.
Ms Doyle, of McCabe’s Villas, Booterstown, Dublin, and formerly of Meadowgate, Knockmullen, Gorey, Co Wexford, has pleaded not guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to 131 counts of theft at AIB Bank, Morehampton Rd, Donnybrook, between September 2008 and May 2010.
The court heard Mr Brugha’s mother died in 2006 and left him a sum of money.
Mr Brugha told the court that the accused was aged 17 or 18 when they first met when he was working as a chef in Loughlinstown hospital in south Dublin. She was working as a general operative in the kitchen and he said she was very interested in becoming a chef.
They met again by chance in 2007 and stayed in touch.
In 2010, he became concerned when he checked his bank statement and noticed money going out to a credit union account. He said he rang the accused and she told him she might have spent some money.
Mr Brugha told the court: “It was my fault in one way. I wasn’t checking my statements because I wasn’t spending a lot of money, I wasn’t checking.”
The trial continues before Judge Patrick McCartan and is set to last until Friday.