Stole equipment from employer

A man who stole €40,000 worth of equipment from his former employer was given a suspended sentence on condition he pays the money back within four and a half years.

Adrian Gallagher (43), from Castlelost, Rochfordbridge, Westmeath was in Trim Circuit Court on 27th February charged with multiples thefts.

The court heard on various dates in 2022 Mr Gallagher on numerous occasions stole equipment from his place of employment totalling €40,000. This included €2,500 from a generator and €36,000 in piping and radon sheets. Mr Gallagher pleaded guilty to the offences and has not been to garda attention since.

The defending barrister asked the court to give his client four years to repay his former employer through regular instalments of €800 per month. The court heard he has no compensation with him in because he lost two of his previous jobs due to revelations regarding these offences.

Judge John Martin said the offending consists of “a system that you have devised” with another co-accused on a repeated basis to defraud his employer who trusted him.

Judge Martin also said the accused might not have been thinking straight during this period due to his drug addiction and noted he was cooperative with Gardai.

Mr Gallagher was given a two and a half year sentence fully suspended on condition he pays Gem Construction €750 per month for four years and six months with €2,500 of this to be forwarded to RKC contractors. He is also to enter a peace bond and remain drug free.

- Funded by the Courts Reporting Scheme