Assistant manager stole from Dunnes
SUSPENDED SENTENCE FOR WOMAN WHO MANIPULATED REFUNDS PROCESS
A 35-year-old woman who pleaded guilty to fourteen counts of theft from Dunnes Stores has been given a two-year suspended prison sentence.
Samantha Keating, of 33 Evergreen Way, Whiterock, Wexford, came before Judge Barry Hickson at Wexford Circuit Criminal Court on fourteen counts of theft totalling €1,760.
The thefts occurred at the Dunnes Stores Bridgewater Branch in Arklow, between March 3, 2014, and October 30, 2015, with eight separate counts totalling €620.
The remaining six counts at the Dunne Stores Branch in Gorey occurred on separate dates between February 12, 2015, and August 30, 2015, and totalled €1,140.
Sgt. Ray Heffernan told the court that the defendant had pleaded guilty and that the counts before the court were sample counts. He said the defendant worked in Dunnes Stores from 2007 to 2014 and was promoted to Assistant Manager in the Arklow Branch in 2014.
Sgt. Heffernan said that as Assistant Manager, if a customer came back to customer services seeking a refund for an item, she would deal with the matter.
Through this refunds process, the defendant created false transactions using over-riding receipts while logged in on numbers assigned to other staff, having asked them for the password or codes.
The till would balance at the end of the day so nothing would be suspected.
Sgt. Heffernan said the thefts came to light when a staff member became suspicious, leading to an investigation. Staff members who were subsequently interviewed by gardai said they felt it quite normal to give their pin numbers to an Assistant Manager.
It came to light as a result of one particular staff member noting something suspicious. She became concerned when an over-riding receipt was generated but no customer had sought an exchange.
Following this there an internal store investigation, after which the gardai were informed. He said that 92 receipts representing cash in Arklow came to €4,817, while 54 receipts in Gorey amounted to €7,196, amounting to a total of€12,013.
The defendant, he said, was arrested by gardai and when shown the receipts she made a full admission. She co-operated fully with the investigation and had no previous convictions.
Defence Counsel, Jordan Fletcher, said the defendant lived with her partner. Things have been difficult at home since this, but she did not tell her partner until the last minute, In the meantime they have worked through their difficul- ties, having been engaged with the Probation and Welfare services. She was in a position of trust and is deeply shameful at having abused her position of trust, said Mr. Fletcher.
He said the defendant is now a student and is saving €20 per week from her entitlements. Some money had been paid over and she continues to put money aside every week.
Judge Hickson said that within her limited means, the defendant has been trying to make good the losses. He noted that it was a first offence and that she co-operated fully with the investigation.
The judge said that on counts one to eight relating to both Gorey and Arklow he would impose a concurrent sentence of two years, suspended for two years, in her own bond of €200 to keep the peace for two years.
She was also ordered to continue to attend for psychotherapy, continue to liaise with the Probation and Welfare services, and continue to make restitution. He said he would mark the remaining counts taken into consideration.