A hurler who stole an estimated €70,000 from his former employers, was on Wednesday given 240 hours of community service in lieu of seven, concurrent two-year prison sentences.
Galway hurler, David Glennon (27), from Gurtymadden, Loughrea, pleaded guilty this time last year to seven sample charges involving the theft of various amounts of cash, totalling €40,460, from J&C Kenny Wine Distributors, Galway, on various dates between November 1st, 2014 and July 8th, 2015. The facts in a further 16 similar charges were admitted, bringing the total amount involved to an estimated €70,000. Glennon pleaded guilty to the theft of individual amounts from his employers ranging from €2,000, €6,050, €5,600, €4,180, €6,581, €8,301 and €7,528 on seven separate dates. Sentence was adjourned to last January and was adjourned then to today’s date for an up-to-date report on the accused.
Prosecuting barrister, Geri Silke told the Galway Circuit Criminal Court today that a mystery donor had repaid €65,000 on Glennon’s behalf to the family-run Galway company and a further €5,000 had also been repaid to the victims on his behalf. Reading the probation report which was handed into court today, Judge Rory McCabe remarked Glennon “had an arrangement between himself and the donor to deal with debt”.
Ms Silke reminded Judge McCabe he had placed the offences in the midrange on the scale of gravity and had indicated a headline sentence in January of four years. She said he had also said the appropriate sentence was two years after taking mitigating factors into account.
Judge McCabe noted today that Glennon had apologised for his actions and had repaid the money. He said the report indicated Glennon posed a low risk of re-offending and was remorseful. He was also found to be a suitable candidate for community service should the court see fit not to impose a custodial sentence.
The judge then sentenced Glennon to two years in prison on each of the seven theft charges, the sentences to run concurrently, and in lieu of each sentence he directed Glennon carry out the maximum of 240 hours’ community service, also to run concurrently, which must be served within the next 12 months.
“Part of my thinking is that the injured party has been repaid but I’m also bearing in mind that if I send him to jail, I doubt the debt he has to the person who gave him the money, would be repaid. So this sentence meets the interests of justice in a balanced way,” the judge said.
Ms Silke then entered a nolle prosequi for the remaining 16 charges.
The initial sentence hearing in January was told Glennon had gone public, using the media to talk about his gambling addictions and was now an active campaigner, giving public talks about his experiences as a gambler and his road to recovery.
Det Sgt John McElroy told the court in January Glennon had started as a store man with the wine distribution company in 2010 and had worked his way up to become a salesman. The thefts came to light when he went on holiday and a colleague took over his role. It soon became apparent that thousands of euro, which Glennon had received from customers on behalf of the company, had been transferred into his own bank account and gambled away. The directors of the company made a complaint to gardaí and Glennon admitted his guilt straight away. He told gardaí he had spent the money in bookie shops, on online gambling and on virtual racing.
“He’s well-known in GAA circles nationally,” Det McElroy said at the time.
Mr Bernard Madden SC, defending, said Glennon went to Cuain Mhuire for treatment in July 2015 and he now had insight into his offending behaviour.
Ms Aoife Kenny, a director of J&C Kenny Wine Distributors, read a brief impact statement into evidence in January. In it, she stated, the amount of money stolen by Glennon almost caused her family business to close. She said his actions had a serious impact on her life and on the lives of her family and the families of the other 32 people employed by the company. She said his actions were a huge betrayal to a group of people who had believed in him and had supported him through his previous struggles with addiction and who had offered him a second chance.
She said the company would be struggling for many years to come, to repair the damage he had caused, both personally and professionally.
Glennon issued a statement to the media following his sentence, thanking everyone who had helped him in his recovery.