Woman who stole €760,000 from education authority jailed for two years

A woman who stole €760,000 from an education authority and spent it on expensive handbags and clothing has been jailed for two years.

Judge John Aylmer said Tara Sweeney’s crimes were “systematic and premeditated” after she stole the money from her employer the Donegal Education Centre.The 47-year-old had pleaded guilty to stealing the cash over a six-year period.

However, Donegal Circuit Court was told that many of the items were never taken out of their packaging and lay in a room at her house.

Ms Sweeney was an accounts administrator at the centre from 2009 until 2015.

In 2015, a new director at the company became suspicious of large missing sums , an investigation was launched and Ms Sweeney, of The Glebe, Donegal Town, subsequently resigned from her post.

An accountancy firm was drafted in and it found electronic transfers into Ms Sweeney’s account totalling €760,000.

Further investigations showed Ms Sweeney had spent much of the money on clothing, designer handbags, perfumes and jewellery . Many of the handbags and clothing recovered were never taken out of their packaging, the court heard.

Barrister for Ms Sweeney, Mr Peter Nolan told the court that the case and her actions destroyed her life.He said she is selling her house and the profit of between €60,000 to €70,000 will be paid back. Judge Aylmer said the offence merited a sentence of three years in prisonbut he would suspend the last twelve months.