Donor aids GAA star
Galway hurler escapes jail as mystery donor repays €70k he stole to feed gambling habit
A MYSTERY donor has helped a Galway senior hurler repay an estimated €70,000 he stole from his former employer.
And David Glennon escaped jail yesterday when a judge allowed him do community service instead of a jail term.
The thefts only came to light when the county player went on holiday. A colleague took over his role and it became apparent that thousands of euro, which Glennon had received from customers for the company, were transferred into his own bank account.
The directors of the company made a complaint to the gardaí and Glennon admitted his guilt straight away.
However, Aoife Kenny, who is a director of the family firm, J&C Kenny Wine Distributors, has told how the amount of money stolen almost caused the company to close. She said Glennon’s actions had a serious impact on her life and on the lives of her family and the families of the other 32 people employed by the company.
She read a brief impact statement at a hearing in January.
The court heard that Glennon had told gardaí he had spent the money in bookie shops, on online gambling and on virtual racing.
The initial sentence hearing in January was told Glennon, from Gurtymadden, Loughrea, was now an active campaigner, giving public talks about his experiences as a gambler and his road to recovery.
Glennon, 27, who was an unused substitute in last year’s All-Ireland final win over Waterford, pleaded guilty last year to seven sample charges of stealing cash totalling €40,460, from J&C Kenny Wine Distributors, Galway, between November 1, 2014 and July 8, 2015. The facts in a further 16 similar charges were admitted, bringing the total amount to an estimated €70,000.
Prosecuting barrister Geri Silke told the court yesterday that a mystery donor had repaid €65,000 on Glennon’s behalf to the Galway company and a further €5,000 had also been repaid on his behalf.
Detective Sergeant John McElroy told the court in January that Glennon, who had started as a storeman with the wine distribution company in 2010 and worked his way up to become a salesman, was ‘well-known in GAA circles nationally’.
Bernard Madden SC, defending, said Glennon went to Cuan Mhuire treatment centre for help in July 2015 and he now had insight into his offending behaviour.
Judge Rory McCabe noted, at Galway Circuit Court yesterday, that Glennon had apologised and repaid the funds. He said Glennon posed a low risk of reoffending and was remorseful.
He sentenced him to two years in prison on each of the seven theft charges, with the sentences set to run concurrently, however, in lieu of each sentence he directed Glennon carry out the maximum of 240 hours’ community service within the year.