A man who handled a forged cheque and a bank draft with a combined value of £92,500 was said to be in extreme family difficulties with eight children and seven grandchildren living at home, a court heard yesterday.
Edward Dunne (49), unemployed, of Navan Road, Cabra, pleaded guilty to handling them on dates in October and November 1996. Det. Garda Declan Daly told prosecuting counsel Mr Fergal Foley that the value of the bank draft totalled £45,000 and the cheque £47,500.
Dunne had been involved in community projects, particularly in relation to young people in urban areas who had taken to keeping and owning horses.
He had his sentence adjourned to March 6th, 2000 by Judge Elizabeth Dunne at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Det. Garda Daly said the co-accused in the case is currently awaiting trial. Dunne was not the ringleader. The cheques were blank when stolen from a location in Ballyfermot and nobody was at a financial loss.
Defence counsel Mr Luan O Braonain asked Judge Dunne to consider that both cheques were stopped before they were negotiated. He said his client had extreme family difficulties and had eight children and seven grandchildren living at his home.
He had no previous convictions and asked Judge Dunne to consider a non-custodial sentence.
Mr O Braonain said Dunne had spent a great period of time working in the community and was the pioneer of various projects involving horses.
This included organising day-trips to the country for children.