Finance manager avoids jail for stealing €13k from employer

By Claire Henry

A finance manager has been spared jail for stealing over €13,000 from her then-employer.

Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that Elaine White (41) of Griffith Road, Finglas, pleaded guilty to six counts of theft and one count of unlawful use of a computer between March 2019 and January 2020. She has no previous convictions.

Passing sentence on Thursday, Judge Martin Nolan said White “was in a trusted position in this company when she stole this money”.

Judge Nolan said she entered an early guilty plea, was cooperative and made admissions to the gardai. He noted that she has no record of previous convictions.

The judge said White is currently employed and able to reimburse the company.

Judge Nolan said, “she doesn’t deserve to go to prison” and handed her a 21-month sentence suspended in full.  He ordered that she repay the remainder of the money within three months.

Garda Colm Mangan told Joe Mulrean BL, prosecuting, that at the time of this offending, White had been employed by the company as a finance manager. He said that between March 2019 and January 2020, €13,416 had been taken.

The court heard that €3,813 of the money taken had been recovered by Revenue and that €9,603 was still owed. Some of the money was sent by bank transfer from the company’s account to White’s personal bank account. White also created an “uninformed invoice,” and she adjusted her tax credit.

Gda Mangan said that in February 2020, an employee discovered an anomaly with White’s tax credit and spoke with the company director. An investigation occurred, and on February 6, White “put her hands up” and made admissions. The gardai were contacted, and she made a voluntary statement.

The court heard that White “immediately put her hands” up to gardai and admitted that she had a gambling addiction. She said that she had been struggling around Christmas 2019. White fully cooperated with the gardai and was laid off from her job. 

Gda Mangan agreed with Jennifer Jackson BL, defending, that this offending happened six years ago and her client had not come to garda attention since. He also agreed she is unlikely to be before the courts in the future.

The garda agreed with counsel that White had offered pleas in the District Court, but the court refused jurisdiction. He said that White was very cooperative and apologised eight times during her interview.

Ms Jackson said her client is now employed and has €6,500 in court to repay her former employer. She said she would be in a position to repay the remainder by the end of March.

Counsel said White is “deeply ashamed” of her actions and asked the court to be as lenient as possible.