A car hire firm employee who stole a Ford Fiesta for her own use has been given a one-year suspended sentence after she repaid almost €7,000 lost in revenue by the company.
Debbie O'Doherty (24), Baskin Lane, Kinsealy, Co Dublin, told her parents it was an ex-rental car she was buying and got money from them to help her "repayments" to Avis.
Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard she had the car "customised" by a city garage. The Avis logo was removed and the number plate was given a new typeface, among several other changes.
O'Doherty was employed by Avis to drive and park cars at Dublin airport. Cars could disappear for days or weeks and be reported missing by the company. Keys for other company cars were found in her bedroom.
O'Doherty pleaded guilty in March 2003 to stealing the car on a date from June 17th, 2001, to July 31st, 2002, and also admitted the unauthorised taking of another Avis car in December 2001.
She had one previous conviction in Dublin District Court on July 11th, 2002, also for unauthorised taking of an Avis car, and was ordered then to carry out 100 hours of community service.
Judge Michael White told O'Doherty she had committed a serious breach of trust to Avis and to her parents and if she was to avoid jail she would have to restore the full €6,750 lost by Avis. The Fiesta had about 2,000 miles on the clock when last checked-in by the company and had 10,909 miles clocked when discovered by gardaí at her home.
Defence counsel said O'Doherty said she intended to give the stolen car back at some time and had been thinking about returning it. Her parents were decent people who were standing by their daughter.