Courts / Dublin / Report

Care Assistant who stole from intellectually disabled clients avoids jail

Date
2014-12-03

Stage
Hearing Or Decision

Primary locality
Dublin

County
Dublin

Summary

Jorge Garcia, a 41‑year‑old Spanish care assistant, was sentenced to a two‑year suspended term for stealing €960 from the accounts of six intellectually disabled residents at Cheeverstown in Dublin. The theft, which occurred between 18 April and 8 August 2013, involved altering withdrawal forms and using a photocopied signature to divert money intended for the residents' expenses. Garcia pleaded guilty to six counts out of 32 charges and has since repaid the full amount. The court noted his cooperation with Garda investigations and his genuine remorse, and considered that the victims' disabilities made the offence particularly serious. Judge Desmond Hogan suspended the sentence, adjourned the case to February for a community service suitability assessment, and highlighted that Garcia had no prior convictions and had not been previously known to the Gardaí. The case remains at the suspended‑sentence stage.