Barman who stole from pub to fund daughter’s medical bills pleads guilty

A Dublin barman who robbed a pub of €10,500 in takings in order to fund his daughter’s medical bills has received a suspended sentence at Dublin’s Circuit Criminal Court.

Oliver Ennis (35) of Bremen Road. Ringsend had pleaded guilty to multiple counts of theft from his employer, the Schoolhouse Hotel, Ballsbridge, Dublin between December 2012 and October 2014.

When his case was first heard before Judge Martina Baxter on June 30th 2018 the hearing was adjourned to Monday to allow him the chance to repay the money he had stolen.

Judge Baxter noted that the final payment had now been made.

Ennis had been employed at the hotel as a bar supervisor from early 2012.

After suspicious stock deficits had been noted by his employers, covert cameras were put in place at the establishment in an attempt to find out what had been happening.

It transpired that Ennis had been taking cash from the tills and pocketing it at the end of each night, by providing drinks but failing to ring transactions through the register.

The court heard that Ennis is a father of four, and that his youngest daughter suffers from pulmonary hypertension, a condition which had seen her attend Great Ormond Street Hospital in London on multiple occasions, visits which he had needed money to pay for. The thefts were not the way to seek assistance financially, the judge said.

Ennis has one previous conviction for which he had received a suspended sentence, for “a similar matter involving a breach of trust”, Judge Baxter said in passing sentence.

“That is an aggravating factor,” she said. “His previous suspended sentence didn’t prove a deterrent from deviousness and dishonesty.”

The judge said that mitigating factors existed, including that Ennis had pleaded guilty early and that “for the most part his employed life has not been like this”.

“He is now in full time employment without access to money,” she said. “His own wife has health issues,” she said, while the letter of remorse he had submitted to the court was “articulate and genuine”.

She said that Ennis would likely prove a low risk of re-offending, but that she nevertheless still had to take into account his previous record of dishonesty.

“This is your last chance,” she said.

Judge Baxter sentenced the man to three years imprisonment, but suspended the sentence in its entirety on the condition that Ennis complete 200 hours of community service in the next 12 months and keep the peace.