Courts / Meath / Report

Carer tells jury that elderly client gifted her money for car

Date
2018-06-26

Stage
Trial

Primary locality
Dunboyne

County
Meath

Summary

Sabrina O'Connor, 37, pleaded not guilty to 13 theft charges and one deception charge in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. She admitted that while caring for a stroke‑victim client she sometimes withdrew money from the client's account, presented a cheque to the bank, and received cash in an envelope. She also claimed that the client gave her €8,000 as a gift to buy a car and later loaned €15,000 for a house deposit, which she said she had not yet repaid. O'Connor said she accepted the money to keep the client happy and was afraid of losing her job, so she did not inform her employers. The trial, presided over by Judge Karen O'Connor, is in its closing stages. The prosecution, led by Noel Devitt BL, questioned her about the nature of the cheques and her failure to report the transactions to the Gardaí.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Carer tells jury that elderly client gifted her money for car. Charges or matters: 13 charges of theft and one count of deception in Dublin 13 on dates between 2010 and 2011. Procedural stage: trial

When:

2010 and 2011 Other
2018-06-26 Publication

Why: She told Noel Devitt BL, prosecuting, that she didn't tell her employers that she had done this, against employment policy, because she was afraid of losing her job. CNI source report