Courts / Kildare / Report
Sentencing judges should be made aware of "Care After Prison" scheme, appeal court finds
Summary
Lisa Lynch, 33, a former director of AGL Logistics, was sentenced to 18 months' imprisonment for stealing €460,660 from Bibby Financial Services over three months in 2013. The Court of Appeal had suspended the final six months of her sentence in January, but on 23 February 2018 the court extended the suspended portion by one day to make her eligible for the Care After Prison (CAP) community support scheme, which is available only to prisoners serving sentences of 364 days or fewer. Lynch had pleaded guilty at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court after making immediate admissions and an early guilty plea. She had taken over AGL after her husband's diagnosis of a rare mouth cancer, and the judge noted her motive was to keep the company afloat for its 70 employees, citing her cooperation, early plea and lack of prior convictions as mitigating factors.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Sentencing judges should be made aware of "Care After Prison" scheme, appeal court finds. Charges or matters: stealing the money from Bibby Financial Services over a three-month period in 2013. Procedural stage: appeal
When:
- December 12 Hearing Or Sentence
- 2018-02-23 Publication
Why: Her motive was to secure the survival of the company in a situation where she felt she had an obligation towards its 70 employees. CNI source report
Case subjects
Defendant
Outcome: Barrister Lorcan Staines, for Lynch, said that in his experience schemes such as the CAP were available to prisoners serving sentences of between three months and 364 days but were not available to prisoners serving sentences of 365 days or more.
Convicted Person
Charges: stealing the money from Bibby Financial Services over a three-month period in 2013 (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: Barrister Lorcan Staines, for Lynch, said that in his experience schemes such as the CAP were available to prisoners serving sentences of between three months and 364 days but were not available to prisoners serving sentences of 365 days or more. Acceding to the request by extending her suspended sentence by one day, Mr Justice George Birmingham said the court had intended to give Lynch this advantage and he added that the scheme was something sentencing judges should be made aware of in the future.
Places mentioned
- Dublin
- Dublin Circuit Criminal Court
- Court of Appeal
- The Circuit Court
- Care After Prison
Topics
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