A WOMAN who stole over €98,000 from a Co Limerick GAA club where she worked as club treasurer, will have to sell her home to repay the misappropriated funds or else face a lengthy jail sentence.
Patricia Carroll, of Chapel Street, Kilfinane, Co Limerick, took €98,316 from Blackrock GAA Club in less than two years, the Circuit Criminal Court in Limerick heard yesterday.
The 49-year-old mother of one pleaded guilty to 19 separate charges arising out of the theft of €63,543 in cash from the club’s weekly lotto draw on separate dates between October 2005 and March 2007. She also pleaded guilty to forging cheques to the value of €34,773 over the same period.
The court heard that Ms Carroll, who is currently unemployed, has tried to sell her home in a bid to repay the money and that a recent offer of €80,000 fell through due to the current economic climate.
At the sentencing hearing yesterday, Judge Carroll Moran said he accepted there was no movement in the residential sector at present but added: “It’s all very well bemoaning the present economic state but where does that get us?”
The judge agreed with the defence that a legal charge on Ms Carroll’s house in favour of Blackrock GAA club, which is struggling financially since the money was taken, would be better than nothing but said the club needed “money in liquid form”.
“I’m not making any promises that I’m not going to impose a prison sentence but there is no question but that this money has to be returned to the club if there is any alternative to a long prison sentence,” said Judge Moran.
The court heard that Ms Carroll was arrested in November 2007 after the club became aware of the missing funds.
The bulk of the money was taken from the club’s main source of income, its weekly lotto draw, and while Ms Carroll didn’t attend the weekly draws, she insisted the money be dropped into her house.
Mark Nicholas, defending, said his client was under financial pressure at the time of the offences and was also looking after a relative’s children. She couldn’t stop what she was doing and said she had lost control of her life at the time. She deeply regretted what happened, Mr Nicholas said.
Judge Moran described the case as tragic because Ms Carroll, who had no previous convictions, had abused her position of trust in the club. He adjourned the case until tomorrow to allow for a binding guarantee to be put in place that the proceeds from the sale of the house would be handed over to the club. He was told that the house was in Ms Carroll’s mother’s name but the family agreed that it was to be left to her as she had always lived there.
Ms Carroll was remanded in custody until tomorrow.