Courts / Meath / Report

Former director of Hepatitis C charity is jailed for theft and fraud

Summary

Bernadette Warnock, former director of the Hepatitis C charity Positive Action Ltd, was jailed for two years after pleading guilty to 71 counts of theft and fraud between 2009 and 2011, stealing €116,226 from the organisation. The charity, founded in 1994 to support women who contracted Hepatitis C through contaminated blood products, had 730 members and received most of its funding from the Health Service Executive (HSE). Warnock, aged 63, had previously been convicted of forging cheques in 1990. The court awarded €63,500 in compensation to the HSE, directing the money to the HSE's division that supports hepatitis C services. Judge Melanie Greally adjourned the sentence to allow Warnock to attend a medical appointment, and the final sentence was a three‑year term with the last 12 months suspended. The case highlighted the breach of trust and the impact on the charity's reputation.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Former director of Hepatitis C charity is jailed for theft and fraud. Charges or matters: 71 counts of theft and fraud between 2009 and 2011 totalling €116,226. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

• 2009 and 2011 Other
• 2016-11-08 Publication

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Fraud Stage Sentence Theft

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Read the original CNI report