Former garda to be sentenced for theft

A former garda is to be sentenced later for stealing money from his colleagues and from an 82-year-old woman whose house had been burgled.

David Foran was stationed at Fitzgibbon Garda Station in Dublin and had debts of around €500,000 at the time of the thefts in late 2009.

His trial heard that while responding to a burglary at an elderly woman's house in Phibsboro, Garda Foran found out she had hidden nearly €2,000 pillow cases.

He returned to the scene and stole it.

He also took nearly €3,500 from colleagues that had been intended for a Christmas party, and by claiming he could get tickets to a game in Anfield.

At the time Garda Foran was a newlywed trying to build a house, was in arrears on his mortgage and had debts of €500,000.

His marriage has since broken down and he has been fired from the force, but has managed to repay his victims.

He now faces up to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to several charges of theft.