Courts / Galway / Report
Suspended sentence for Under-21 All Ireland champ who stole €259k from employer "too lenient", DPP submits
Summary
Mark Hehir, a 27‑year‑old former captain of the Galway Under‑21 All Ireland football team, pleaded guilty to stealing €259,072 from his former employer, Galway City Bin, over a six‑month period in 2016. In January, Judge Rory McCabe at Galway Circuit Criminal Court imposed a wholly suspended two‑year sentence, ordered 240 hours of community service, required Hehir to remain gambling‑free, to avoid opening a bookies account, to attend counselling, and to pay €100 a week in restitution. The Director of Public Prosecutions, represented by Lorcan Staines BL, requested a review of the sentence, arguing that gambling was not an exceptional circumstance and that the sentence was unduly lenient. Hehir's counsel, Bernard Madden SC, countered that Hehir's addiction and his efforts to repay the debt were exceptional factors. The Court of Appeal, with Justices George Birmingham, John Edwards and John Hedigan, reserved judgement on the review.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Suspended sentence for Under-21 All Ireland champ who stole €259k from employer "too lenient", DPP submits. Charges or matters: the theft of €259,072 from his former employers Galway City Bin company over a six-month period in 2016, after initially becoming addicted to online gambling on his phone while in secondary school. Procedural stage: appeal
When:
- 2018-06-29 Publication
Why: Slamming the "jail door" on him was inappropriate because he would be better off outside prison than inside in dealing with his problems. CNI source report
Case subjects
Defendant
Charges: the theft of €259,072 from his former employers Galway City Bin company over a six-month period in 2016, after initially becoming addicted to online gambling on his phone while in secondary school (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: Hehir was given a wholly suspended two-year sentence and ordered to undertake 240 hours of community service by Judge Rory McCabe at Galway Circuit Criminal Court in January. Counsel for the DPP, Lorcan Staines BL, submitted that although the scourge of gambling which afflicted Hehir was "tragic", it did not amount to an exceptional circumstance which justified community service or a suspended sentence.
Places mentioned
- Galway
- Galway Circuit Criminal Court
- Court of Appeal
Topics
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