Woman found guilty of taking €4,000 from credit union customer’s account

The taking of over €4,000 from a customer’s account in Navan Credit Union resulted in a Garda investigation and a 22-year-old woman being charged with a money laundering offence.

Fatima Dos Santos with an address at Dublin Road, Dundalk pleaded guilty to the offence and was sentenced to four months in jail.

Trim District Court heard on Tuesday that Gardai were notified that a customer’s account in the credit union had been compromised.

An investigation revealed that the €4,360 taken from the account had been moved into a Revolut account in the name of the defendant and fairly quickly into a Lithuanian financial institution

The defendant during interview made certain admissions that she provided a mobile phone to another person and suspected that he set up the account. She denied making the transaction, investigating Detective Garda Christie told the court.

The Detective said the injured party who was self employed was not reimbursed.

The defendant declined the opportunity to make a statement of complaint about the third party.

The defendant cited fear as one of the reasons. The only information she provided about the third party was that her mother used to baby sit him.

The defendant met him at a college campus. She had a clear record.

Her barrister Paul Noctor said the defendant made a “stupid mistake”. She was threatened by the third party once. She was willing to repay the money.

Judge Eirinn McKiernan pointed out it was three years later and the injured party was still at the loss of the money. The defendant hadn’t engaged with Gardai.

Mr Noctor said: “I think she was in fear of the third party.”

Judge McKiernan commented it was an “extremely serious matter” when imposing the four month jail sentence. She fixed recognisance for appeal of self €300 and independent surety of €1,000 cash to be lodged in court.

Separately, The case of a 56 year-old man John Nelson from Parnell Park, Navan who admitted theft offences and criminal damage to a Garda car, was put back for a probation report and community service assessment. The defendant appeared before Trim District Court in respect of the thefts at Circle K, Navan.

On one occasion he took alcohol to the value of €32.70. On the other he stole property to the value of €30.40.

The court was told that the defendant was highly abusive and confrontational to Garda and caused damage to a Garda vehicle that resulted in a cleaning bill of €125.

Maurice Regan, solicitor, explained the defendant had a considerable difficulty with alcohol. His recent hiccup coincided with the death of a parent, which he didn’t deal with in the way he should have.

He had paid compensation to Circle K. Judge McKiernan also directed that the defendant pay compensation, including for the damage to the Garda car. She adjourned the case to 14th April next.