Amanda Kerley, Mullenstown, Ardee, pleaded guilty to two theft charges in respect of offending which occurred between 2017 and 2019 when she was employed in St John of God North East Services, Drumcar, Co. Louth.
The matter came to light when it was discovered that St John of God had paid two different agencies on nine occasions for the same shift of work she did.
Further investigation revealed that the defendant had been paid for 99 shifts she didn’t work.
None of the money was paid back. St John of God remains at a total loss of €65,922.
Ms Kerley, a mother of three grown-up children, came to court with €800 compensation, a sum described by Judge Dara Hayes as “not an awful lot” six years after the offending.
It was submitted in mitigation that the accused had an addiction to alcohol and prescription medication.
The offending occurred between August 2017 and March 2019.
Gda Kevin Conway, Dunleer Garda Station, said that in October 2019 he was contacted by the Operations Manager at St John of God who reported that Human Resources had discovered timesheets for the same shift.
Eight of 9 signatures on timesheets submitted didn’t match.
It subsequently transpired that Ms Kerley had also been paid for 99 shifts she didn’t work.
She was interviewed at Drogheda Garda Station on May 31, 2021. Other than saying she was an agency worker indirectly for St John of God, she made no other comment.
The defendant has one previous conviction for Section 8 theft at Tralee District Court in respect of a hotel bill, and others for Road Traffic matters.
She previously worked as a nurse before seeking agency work in 2017.
Cross-examined by barrister Donough McDonough, instructed by solicitor Paul Eaton, Gda Conway said that he met the accused concerning this matter in Dunleer Garda Station on July 18, 2020.
Because a solicitor couldn’t be contacted, she was advised to get one before speaking to Gardaí again.
Her pleas of guilty were of assistance.
No Victim Impact Statement was provided.
Handed into court were reports dealing with Ms Kerley’s addictions to alcohol and prescription medication for depression and anxiety, and a psychiatric report.
St Mary’s Drumcar.
Mr McDonough said that his client was a nurse for most of her life. She started agency work in 2017 because she needed the money. Her family had to move homes on numerous occasions.
The defendant had engaged with an addiction counsellor. Her alcohol rehabilitation was not complete. Her medication was more tightly controlled.
Mr McDonough continued that Ms Kerley lost a career she loved.
Lonely and vulnerable, she was in receipt of €347 disability allowance and mostly of good character. She instructed that she had paid back the hotel in Tralee.
This was a “significant fall from grace”.
There was €800 in court, and the defendant was prepared to set up a monthly €200 direct debit to pay more of the money back.
It was accepted that this was late in the day. She was very concerned about the consequences.
Judge Hayes remarked that this was clearly serious, deliberate offending for a significant period of time.
He said he wanted to read the psychiatric report and adjourned sentencing to January 28, seeking a probation report.
The “small money” in court should be given to St John of God.
The judge noted it was 6 years since the offending came to light and five years since Ms Kerley first met formally with Gardaí.
“It is a significant period of time in which some better efforts might have been made in restitution,” Judge Hayes continued.
He added that a custodial sentence was a very real possibility but would stay his hand.
Amanda Kerley was remanded on the same bail conditions.
Funded by the Courts Reporting Scheme