State official avoids jail after stealing €100,000 from bank
Fiona Finnegan leaving Galway Circuit Court yesterday
A DEPARTMENT of Agriculture official escaped a jail sentence yesterday after admitting stealing €100,000 from Bank of Ireland.
Fiona Finnegan (39), a married woman with a family from Sylaun, Tuam, Co Galway, pleaded guilty before Galway Circuit Court to a single charge of stealing the money from the Bank of Ireland branch at Dublin Road, Tuam, on November 22, 2006.
Det Gda Mary Burke told the court that Finnegan originally opened a current account in her own name at the Tuam branch in 2001.
On November 17, 2006, she lodged a cheque for €100,000 to this account -- the cheque was drawn on an account opened at AIB in Salthill.
She subsequently completed an application for an electronic transfer of €100,000 to a Turkish bank. She called a number of times to the Tuam bank enquiring if the funds had been transferred and an official contacted Bank of Ireland Global Markets at Talbot Street, Dublin, to ask if the transfer could be expedited.
Cheque
On November 22, 2006, the cheque for €100,000 was returned unpaid and marked "not cleared". But by then, the €100,000 was transferred, Det Gda Burke told the court.
When the bank made inquiries, it discovered that the funds in the AIB account were made up of a lodgment of a cheque for €109,000. The account holder was Sentry Properties and it was signed by Fiona Gallagher.
Det Gda Burke told the court that Fiona Gallagher, trading as Sentry Properties, was the same person as Fiona Finnegan and this company account was closed in November 2005 and had no funds at the time the cheque was lodged.
When questioned, Finnegan admitted there were no funds to meet the cheque lodged to AIB in Salthill. She said she was under pressure in connection with the purchase of property in Turkey.
Det Gda Burke said she had now been handed a bank draft in favour of Bank of Ireland for €100,000.
Judge Raymond Groarke imposed a custodial sentence of 18 months, but suspended the term and bound Finnegan to the peace for 12 months.
- Brian McDonald
Irish Independent
