Charity founder avoids prison

A travel agent who set up a charity which sent terminally ill children to Lapland has been given a suspended sentence for stealing over €18,000 from the organisation.

John, also known as Con Murphy, 66, received the non-custodial sentence despite Judge Patrick McCartan expressing concerns that Murphy is involved in similar behaviour with a new charity he set up called the Make it Happen Foundation.

Judge McCartan suspended a three-year sentence yesterday after hearing Murphy’s family had raised the full amount to compensate for the theft.