A woman has been given probation for trying to obtain £5,000 (€6,348) from the National Lottery using a forged scratchcard.
Emily Byrne (31), Ballymakealy Grove, Celbridge, Co Kildare, was put on probation after she pleaded guilty to returning the forged "All Cash" card at the GPO in Dublin on May 15th, 2001.
Dublin District Court heard the card displayed three £5,000 symbols which, if genuine, would entitle the holder to that sum from the National Lottery.
An Post staff in the GPO checked the card in the computer system and it showed up as "a non-winning ticket". It was seized and handed over to gardaí.
On examination, it was found that a £5,000 symbol from another ticket had been cut out and stuck to the bogus card that contained two other £5,000 symbols.
Gardaí said there was a third party, an unidentified drug addict, involved in the scam, but Ms Byrne had refused to name him. This third party had also allegedly gone directly to the National Lottery offices demanding the money be paid, although it was not.
The gardaí accepted Byrne may have been in fear of him as he was "a very forceful" individual.