Courts / Dublin / Report
Bursar stole €500k from girl's private school to fund 'double life' in gambling
Summary
Mary Higgins, 62, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to stealing €500,000 from Mount Sackville Secondary School between 2012 and 2017. She had been a bursar for 24 years and controlled the school's cash flow, using the money for gambling. Higgins sold her home and signed over her pension to repay the school, having already repaid €470,949.62. She has no prior convictions and has since engaged in addiction treatment, voluntary counselling, and studies in addiction and psychotherapy. The court noted her remorse and the lack of oversight that enabled the theft. She now lives with her 93‑year‑old mother and receives a weekly carer's allowance. Judge Orla Crowe will decide on June 19.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Bursar stole €500k from girl's private school to fund 'double life' in gambling. Charges or matters: stealing €500,000 from Mount Sackville Secondary School in Chapelizod between January 1, 2012 and March 23, 2017. Procedural stage: sentence
When:
- January 1, 2012 Hearing Or Sentence
- March 23, 2017 Hearing Or Sentence
- March 2017 Other
- June 19 Other
- 2025-05-26 Publication
Why: He explained that, while parents received receipts, there was no cash receipts book, no copy of receipts was ever kept and there was no oversight. CNI source report
Case subjects
Defendant
Charges: stealing €500,000 from Mount Sackville Secondary School in Chapelizod between January 1, 2012 and March 23, 2017 (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: He noted that there was a shortfall of €29,000 in what she had repaid, but said that she was committed to paying it back if made a condition of her sentence.
Places mentioned
- Dublin
- Dublin Circuit Criminal Court
Topics
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