Man who stole mother’s credit card spared jail

A Kildare businessman who stole his elderly mother’s credit card to buy hotel breaks and holidays abroad has been spared jail and ordered to pay money back over the next three years.

Raymond Quinn (46) was captured on bank CCTV each time he used the card to withdraw up to its €600 daily limit. He booked hotels, including a stay at the Brooklodge Hotel in Wicklow, and signed the receipts in his own name.

Quinn, who owes $180,000 from his import-export business, also booked flights for himself and his girlfriend.

Aidan McCarthy, defending, submitted that though Quinn has the business debt, a €24,980 credit union loan and €20,000 owed to Revenue, he had paid off some private debts with his mother’s credit card.

Quinn, of Jigginstown Green, Naas, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to six sample charges of stealing money from Amy Quinn at AIB banks in Blessington and Naas and Ulster Bank in Blessington on dates between August 2 and October 31, 2012. He pleaded guilty to one charge of stealing her credit card at Brittas, Co Dublin, on August 6, 2012.

Garda Mark Shortt said that the unauthorised transactions on the card totalled €14,153. He said Quinn told gardaí after his arrest that he would visit his then 77-year-old mother, take her credit card and return it to her bag.

Mrs Quinn is now in a nursing home and has dementia, the court heard.

Judge Mary Ellen Ring noted that Quinn had only proposed at a late stage in the case to start re-paying the money to his mother and said it was now time to put this into action.

“He is a thief. If he had gone into a shop and put his hand into the till while the staff were not looking, it would be the same offence,” said Judge Ring, who also noted there had also been a huge breach of trust.

She suspended a sentence of three years for three years and ordered Quinn, who is in receipt of a social welfare payment of €188 a week, to pay back €8 a week for the next three years.

Gda Shortt told Maurice Coffey, prosecuting, that Quinn had “felt hard done by” over the sale of family land and property.

Quinn admitted in interview that he had carried out €9,480 of unauthorised credit card transactions. He disputed the higher amount of over €14,000.

Gda Shortt told Mr Coffey that Quinn’s brother had paid their mother’s credit card bill by direct debit each month and noticed after examining the bill that there were several unauthorised transactions.

Mr McCarthy submitted to Judge Ring that his client is in “dire straits” financially but pays €2,800 a month in maintenance to his three children and estranged wife.

Counsel submitted that his client “deeply regrets” his actions and had hoped to start repaying his mother up to €300 a month. Mr McCarthy added that his client acted in a “misguided attempt to put some kind of balance on what he saw as an ongoing dispute”.

“He has now poured petrol on the fire,” counsel added.

When Judge Ring asked if Quinn had sought any financial advice on repaying his business debts, Mr McCarthy replied that his client had “displayed an ostrich like approach” with this situation.