A teacher who defrauded £11,000 he collected for a college trip to Prague has had his sentence adjourned to next March by Judge Frank O'Donnell at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Felim Sexton (29), a native of Poles, Co Cavan, and with an address at Royal Meadows, Kilcock, Co Kildare, overdosed on tablets after committing the offence and was unconscious for three days in Limerick, the court heard.
Sexton pleaded guilty to two sample charges in relation to the offence which he committed between January and April in 2001. He spent the money on drink.
Det Garda Barry Walsh said the 41 transition-year students and six teachers at Coláiste Chillian in Clondalkin got their trip, unaware it had not been fully paid for by Sexton who had taken responsibility for collecting the money from them.
Det Garda Walsh told prosecuting counsel Mr Dominic McGinn BL that the travel company didn't discover it was left short about £11,000 until some weeks later.
The County Dublin Vocational Education Committee paid the shortfall and was out of pocket as a result.
Sexton, who was employed as a temporary teacher of Irish and geography at Coláiste Chillian, and another staff member proposed the idea of the trip. Students had to pay £90 deposits initially and the £320 balance later.
Det Garda Walsh said the deposits had been placed in the college's bank account, but Sexton told the headmaster in January 2001 that the company was insisting on all the money being placed in a separate account. He was then given control of the trip finances and the deposits given to him.
Sexton paid all the cheques to the travel company but kept the cash. He sent the company a fax claiming all the money was in place and caused a receipt for the £18,322 total cost to be issued.
Det Garda Walsh said Sexton was on sick leave when the matter came to light but signed himself out of St Patrick's Hospital in Dublin and made a statement to the Garda Bureau of Fraud Investigation some days before the college made a formal complaint about the crime.
He told the Garda he had been suffering from severe depression and was drinking heavily.
He then left the jurisdiction and taught first in London and later in Magherafelt, Co Derry, from where he was extradited last June. He didn't resist the extradition.
Det Garda Walsh agreed with defence counsel Mr Seán Gillane BL that he was aware Sexton was getting counselling for incidents in his earlier life which had adversely affected him.
Judge O'Donnell remanded Sexton on independent bail to March 10th, 2004, so that he could make contact with the probation and welfare services.