Former Cork credit union employee pleads guilty to theft of over €325,000

A former employee of a Cork credit union has pleaded guilty to stealing over €325,000 from it over a five-year period.

Leona Daly of Meadows Avenue, The Meadows, Hollyhill, Cork, provided a signed plea of guilty to Cork District Court on Monday and was sent forward for sentence to Cork Circuit Criminal Court in October.

She had been charged with a total of 167 theft and fraud offences between 2011 and 2016 when she was working at Knocknaheeny/Hollyhill branch of Gurranebraher Credit Union in Cork.

Det Garda Maura O’Riordan of the Garda Economic Crime Investigation Unit in Cork gave evidence at Cork District Court on Monday of arrest, charge and caution in relation to Daly (36).

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Det Garda O’Riordan said Daly made no reply to any of the charges when they were put to her after caution, following her arrest on July 23rd, 2018.

She was charged with a total of 109 counts of theft of sums ranging from €500 to € 11,000, contrary to Section 4 of the Criminal Justice (Theft and Fraud Offences) Act 2001.

She was also charged with a further 59 charges of false accounting, contrary to Section 10 of the same act. It was alleged she furnished false information in relation to accounts to make a gain.

Inspector Ronan Kenneally told the court the Director of Public Prosecutions had consented to the matter being sent forward to Cork Circuit Criminal Court on a signed plea of guilty if such was forthcoming.

Defence solicitor, Shane Collins Daly said his client was entering a signed plea of guilty on all 167 charges against her.

Judge Olann Kelleher remanded Daly to appear again at the next sitting of Cork Circuit Criminal Court, commencing on October 22nd, 2018 at Anglesea Street.