Man given five years to repay money stolen from employed

A judge has given a former shop manager five years to pay the €54,000 he stole from his employer or else he goes to jail.

Peter Farrell (aged 46) faces three years in prison if he fails to refund Clarehall Spar shop owner Mr Eddie Glennon of the money he spent on alcohol and gambling between May and August 2006.

Judge Patrick McCartan ordered Farrell, of Beaupark Row, Clongriffin, Dublin 13, to hand over the €1,000 he had gathered for his ex-employer to date, to raise €5,000 by the end of July and pay the balance within five years.

The father-of-one pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to stealing a total of €54,000 from the shop’s takings by failing to lodge different amounts into Mr Glennon’s bank account.

Garda Jerome Campbell said the Mr Glennon found out about his employee’s theft when he changed bank.

Gda Campbell told prosecution counsel, Mr Paul Green BL, that Farrell failed to lodge €9,033 on May 25, 2006; €8,719 on May 26; €10, 253 and €7,894 on May 29 and 30; €8, 685 on June 2 and €9,100 on August 13, 2006.

Farrell claimed he had planned to refund his friend but ended up betting more each time to try to win it all back.

Defence counsel, Mr Lawrence Masterson BL, submitted that his client had worked with his employer for 12 years until he became addicted to gambling on the lotto outcome.

Gda Campbell agreed with Mr Masterson that his client, who has one burglary conviction from 1980, hadn’t come to garda attention since 2006 and had recently found a job after three years of "bit work" because of the charge against him.

Mr Masterson submitted that Farrell had always informed job interviewers of his court case.

The judge described Farrell’s offence as a "serious breach of friendship with little or no prospect of avoiding detection".

He accepted that Farrell had addressed his gambling and drink problem and understood his wrongdoing, but added: "He (Farrell) has come here very lighthanded for a man who’s been waiting for this day for three years