A man who defrauded AIB of £56,265, has been jailed for 2 1/2 years by Judge Elizabeth Dunne at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Martin Eustace (29), Bishop Street Flats, Dublin pleaded guilty to five sample counts of forgery and three of uttering to obtain a forged document. Det Garda Kevin Roche told Mr Padraig Dwyer, prosecuting, that a company sent a cheque for £56,265 to the Revenue Commissioners in 1998. It was intercepted before it reached the Revenue and lodged in an account at the AIB on Crumlin Road in the name of a person who had an account there but had no connection with the crime. Det Garda Roche said Eustace looked like this person. Several times in 1998 he withdrew large sums of money from the bank, ranging from £4,000 to £9,000.
He had a pass card and PIN number which he used as identification. Det Garda Roche said matters came to light when the Revenue Commissioners said they had not received the money. Gardai obtained the withdrawal slips and Eustace's fingerprints were lifted off them. The company had been credited for the loss and it was the AIB which suffered financially. None of the money was recovered.
Ms Caroline Biggs, defending, said Eustace was working for other people and only profited by £6,000. He was in fear of them. She described him as "a pawn" in the operation.
Judge Dunne said she was satisfied he was a runner for others who had physically abused him. She took into account the co-operation he gave to gardai and his early guilty plea.