Courts / Dublin / Report
PA who stole €2.8 million from U2 star must await appeal fate
Summary
Carol Hawkins, 51, former personal assistant to U2 bassist Adam Clayton, was convicted in 2012 on 181 counts of theft from two of Clayton's Bank of Ireland accounts between 2004 and 2008, amounting to €2,869,274. She used the money to buy and maintain 22 thoroughbred racehorses, a €310,000 New York apartment, holidays, her children's education and shopping sprees, and spent €1.4 million on her credit card funded from Clayton's accounts. Hawkins was sentenced to seven years' imprisonment. In the Court of Criminal Appeal, she appealed her conviction and sentence on grounds that the trial court failed to disclose material, did not exclude witnesses, and admitted prejudicial evidence. The appeal was reserved by the three‑judge panel, with no decision announced. The case remains pending while the appeal is considered.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: PA who stole €2.8 million from U2 star must await appeal fate. Procedural stage: appeal
When:
- November 2009 Hearing Or Sentence
- December 22, 2009 Incident
- 2004 to 2008 Other
- 2005 to 2009 Incident
- 2014-10-13 Publication
Why: He said Adam Clayton initially left cheques for Ms Hawkins to pay household expenses and thereafter he gave her signing rights because small suppliers wanted to be paid quickly. CNI source report
Case subjects
Appellant
Outcome: Carol Hawkins (51), originally from North London but with a last address at Lower Rathmines Road, Dublin was jailed in 2012 on 181 counts of theft from two of Mr Clayton's Bank of Ireland accounts over a four year period from 2004 to 2008. In the Court of Criminal Appeal today, Ms Hawkins appealed her conviction and sentence on multiple grounds including inadequacies in the disclosure process of her trial, the refusal to exclude witnesses from court during cross examination and the admission of prejudicial evidence against her.
Places mentioned
- Lower Rathmines Road
- Dublin
- Circuit Criminal Court
Topics
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