Courts / Dublin / Report
Worker avoids jail for stealing phone credit to pay off ex's drug debt
Summary
In a case heard at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Lee Gannon, a 26‑year‑old Tesco employee, was sentenced to a one‑year suspended term for stealing nearly €6,000 in phone credit from the retailer over July and August 2018. Gannon, who managed rosters and payroll at Tesco Express in Rathmines, was caught when an operations manager noticed discrepancies in mobile phone credit sales. CCTV footage linked the theft to Gannon's store code, and he was seen ringing up the credit in the till before pocketing it. He pleaded guilty to three counts of theft between 24 July and 22 August 2018. Gannon had no prior convictions. He claimed that his ex‑partner's drug debt pressured him into the theft, a claim the prosecution accepted.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Worker avoids jail for stealing phone credit to pay off ex's drug debt. Charges or matters: three sample counts of stealing from the supermarket on Upper Rathmines Road, Rathmines on dates between July 24 and August 22, 2018. Procedural stage: sentence
When:
- August 2018 Hearing Or Sentence
- July 24 Incident
- August 22, 2018 Incident
- 2022-02-14 Publication
Why: Gda Cunningham said he believed this to be the case and that members of Gannon's family were being used as "pawns" in order to have the debt repaid. CNI source report
Case subjects
Defendant
Charges: three sample counts of stealing from the supermarket on Upper Rathmines Road, Rathmines on dates between July 24 and August 22, 2018 (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: He handed down a one-year sentence and suspended it on a number of conditions, including that Gannon pay €4,500 to Tesco and pay the remainder of the money owed within 11 months.
Places mentioned
- Dublin
- Dublin Circuit Criminal Court
- Hannaville Park
- Dublin
- Upper Rathmines Road
Topics
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