Courts / Kildare / Report
Widow of Console founder fined €1.5k for failing to keep proper books
Summary
Patricia Kelly, 61, the widow of the late founder of the suicide‑prevention charity Console, pleaded guilty to one count of failing to keep proper books of account as a director between December 2006 and May 2015. The court found that 96 payments totalling €223,000 were traced to accounts controlled by her husband, Paul Kelly, who had died by suicide in 2020. The prosecution could not prove a wilful failure, so no custodial sentence was imposed. Judge Martin Nolan fined Kelly €1,500, to be paid within six months, and disqualified her as a director for five years. The charity, which received €2.03 million from the HSE between 2010 and 2016, is in liquidation and is subject to ongoing civil proceedings by its liquidator. The case highlighted a lack of cooperation with audits and the movement of records offsite. The fine was considered modest given Kelly's limited means and widow's pension.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Widow of Console founder fined €1.5k for failing to keep proper books. Charges or matters: one count of failure, other than wilfully, to keep proper books of account as a director of a company, contrary to the Companies Act, 1990, between December 2006 and May 2015. Procedural stage: sentence
When:
- December 2006 Hearing Or Sentence
- May 2015 Hearing Or Sentence
- February 2020 Hearing Or Sentence
- 2010 and 2016 Other
- 2006 and 2015 Incident
- 2024-02-22 Publication
Case subjects
Defendant
Charges: one count of failure, other than wilfully, to keep proper books of account as a director of a company, contrary to the Companies Act, 1990, between December 2006 and May 2015 (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: Photo: Collins) The widow of the late founder of suicide prevention charity Console has been fined €1,500 after pleading guilty to a charge of failing to keep proper books of account as a director of the company.
Places mentioned
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