Freelance travel agent who 'wanted to make friends' stole €29k from holidaymakers

Accused offered cut-price package holidays and travel breaks until 'things got out of control' and she falsified receipts and confirmations of bookings, leaving some holidaymakers stranded abroad, court heard

Accused 'lacked business acumen' to keep track of payments and began using deposits paid by customers to complete the costs of others bookings. Some holidays were only partially paid for, or not booked at all, court told

A freelance travel agent who stole nearly €29,000 from 31 holiday makers has received a fully suspended prison sentence.

Lawyers for Kelli Kilpatrick, 34, told Judge Martin Nolan at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court that in 2017 Kilpatrick began offering to arrange discounted holidays in order to make friends.

The Dublin woman used her experience working in the corporate travel industry to get cut-price package holidays and travel breaks. 

Detective Garda John Tuthill told Jane Murphy BL, prosecuting, that word spread through friends of the holiday deals and the defendant became busier and busier until things “got out of control”.

The holiday plans included cruise trips, continental breaks, long-haul flights and typical package holidays in Spain and Portugal.

Kilpatrick was unable to keep track of payments and began using deposits paid by customers to complete the costs of others bookings. Some holidays were only partially paid for, or not booked at all. In some cases, Kilpatrick falsified receipts and confirmations of bookings.

Holidaymakers found out there were problems in advance of their getaways while others ended up in foreign destinations only to discover  that hotel rooms or return flights were not booked.

Det Gda Tuthill agreed with defending counsel John Griffin BL that Kilpatrick contacted gardaí about the scam because she wanted to “clear her conscience” and that she co-operated fully with the subsequent investigation. 

'Toxic relationship'

She told gardaí she had begun offering the holidays as a way to make friends after returning to Dublin from a “toxic relationship” in the UK.

Det Gda Tuthill said there was no evidence of Kilpatrick using the money to fund an extravagant lifestyle and she never made any money herself.

“It was a web she couldn't get out of,” he said. He said in interview Kilpatrick expressed remorse and acknowledged the distress she had caused to the victims.

Kilpatrick of St Aongus Estate, Tallaght was charged with 54 counts of theft committed between April 2017 and August 2018. She subsequently pleaded guilty to eight sample counts, with other counts taken into consideration.

Det Gda Tuthill said the total amount of money stolen was €28,904, with the amounts taken from individuals ranging from €300 up to €1,900.

Mr Griffin told the court that his client was previously involved in a toxic violent relationship in Ireland. When this ended, she went to the UK where she again became involved in a similar type of relationship.

Mr Griffin said when Kilpatrick returned to Dublin in 2017 she had no friends and no confidence, was trying to start her life over and was finding it difficult. He said she found she could connect with people and make them happy by helping to get genuinely cheaper holidays.

Spiral of debt

He said when the scheme became as busy as it did, his client lacked the business acumen to keep on top of it and became caught in a spiral of debt.

The court heard Kilpatrick's only previous conviction is for the 2016 theft of £239,000 (€283,000) worth of mobile phones in Reading, England. Mr Griffin said  at the time his client was working for Vodafone and was “put upon” by her then partner to take part in a scam by processing orders for phones.

He asked the court to show leniency and said his client had done everything she could to make amends. He said she was ashamed of her actions and had lived a frugal life since in order to save up €25,000 which she had brought to court to offer to the victims.

He said behind this offending Kilpatrick was a good person from a decent family. “She is truly sorry for the pain she has caused,” he said.

Judge Nolan said Kilpatrick was “robbing Peter to pay Paul”. He said the very fair evidence of the garda was that the accused was unlikely to reoffend.

Kilpatrick sobbed as Judge Nolan concluded he would not jail her. He suspended a three-year prison term on condition that the €25,000 be handed over and that a further €3,000 be collected and paid over in compensation in the next year.