Courts / Louth / Report

Payroll clerk who paid herself double wages to be sentenced later

Date
2015-03-24

Stage
Sentence

Primary locality
Louth

County
Louth

Summary

Paula Reid, a 51‑year‑old mother from Drogheda, pleaded guilty in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to 12 counts of theft totalling €4,790.97, having stolen nearly €5,000 from her former employer, Hugh Burrows & Sons Ltd, over a period from June 2010 to September 2012. Reid, who had worked for the company for 30 years and was recently in charge of accounts and payroll, paid herself a double weekly wage on 12 occasions, a practice described by Garda Vincent Healy as "double‑dip payments" or "bonus payments of an extra week's wages." She was suspended from her job in January 2013 and subsequently dismissed. Reid initially denied the thefts, attributing the discrepancies to a bank error, but later admitted the wrongdoing and repaid the money via a bank draft. The court noted that the thefts were not well hidden, as the double payments were clearly visible on bank statements.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Payroll clerk who paid herself double wages to be sentenced later. Charges or matters: 12 counts of theft on dates between June 2010 and September 2012 totalling €4,790.97 from Hugh Burrows & Sons Ltd, based on Clonard Street in Balbriggan, Co Dublin; the 12 counts at the earliest opportunity. "It was a grievous breach of trust over a two and a half year period and she is deeply remorseful and wants to apologise publicly for the pain, distress and annoyance to her former employees," said Mr Kenneally. "It was completely out of character for her and she did not have a lavish lifestyle," he said, adding that the money she stole became part of her income for day to day expenses. "She cannot offer any substantive reason other than the stresses she was under," he said. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

June 2010 Hearing Or Sentence
September 2012 Hearing Or Sentence
January 2013 Incident
2015-03-24 Publication

Case subjects

Paula Reid

Defendant

Charges: 12 counts of theft on dates between June 2010 and September 2012 totalling €4,790.97 from Hugh Burrows & Sons Ltd, based on Clonard Street in Balbriggan, Co Dublin; the 12 counts at the earliest opportunity. "It was a grievous breach of trust over a two and a half year period and she is deeply remorseful and wants to apologise publicly for the pain, distress and annoyance to her former employees," said Mr Kenneally. "It was completely out of character for her and she did not have a lavish lifestyle," he said, adding that the money she stole became part of her income for day to day expenses. "She cannot offer any substantive reason other than the stresses she was under," he said (Admitted)

Plea: Guilty

Outcome: Judge Patricia Ryan adjourned sentencing until later as she wants to know the consequences the loss had on the business.