Photographer who stole €27,000 from employers awaits sentencing

A Kildare photographer who stole €27,000 from his employers will be sentenced next month at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.

Graham Hynes (aged 31), claimed he took the money because he fell back into heroin use after staying clean for several years.

Hynes, a father of one from Fernspark, Fern Bridge, Monasterevin, pleaded guilty to stealing €26,836 at Blanchardstown from Photo Corporation Ireland Limited on a date unknown between April 26 and May 19, 2007. He also pleaded guilty to possession of a forged driving license.

Garda David Maye told prosecuting counsel, Mr Garnett Orange BL, that Hynes was hired by the company in August 2006 to drive to various locations around the country and take photographs of people. He would then return a few weeks later to sell the pictures. It later emerged he used a forged driving license to get the job.

Starting in April 2007, he went on five trips to take photographs. Each time he filled out the paper work and collected the money from customers but failed to lodge it in the company account.

His manager became suspicious and alerted gardaí who contacted Hynes. He arranged to be interviewed voluntarily and admitted taking the money but claimed he never planned to keep it. He said he had spent €7,100 of the stolen money on heroin after he "slipped" back into his addiction.

He claimed the rest of the cash had been stolen from him when he was at a party. Gda Maye added that Hynes had seven previous convictions including robbery, theft and road traffic offences.

Gardaí called to his house and he handed over the forged driving license and the cheques he had stolen. However these were of no value as they had already been cancelled by the company.

Defence counsel, Mr David Staunton BL, said Hynes had a long history of drug use and suffered from a related infectious disease. He said Hynes "recognised what he did was a serious breach of trust" and was "very anxious and stressed about going into custody."

Judge Martin Nolan said he needed time to think about a sentence and remanded him in custody until next April.