A "shopaholic" who defrauded her employer of almost €100,000 has received a three-year suspended sentence at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court from Judge Katherine Delahunt.
Lynn Byrne (24), from Killinarden Estate, Tallaght, who worked for BWG Foods on the Greenhills Road in Crumlin as a clerk in their central billing office, pleaded guilty to four charges of dishonesty and theft of cheques.
She admitted obtaining a cheque for £20,284, by using a forged manual requisition, and to inducing Frank Mooney of BWG Foods to issue a cheque similarly for £14,620.
Byrne also pleaded guilty to stealing a cheque worth £1,151 between April 1st and 4th, and a further cheque worth £2,033 between August 27th and 29th in 2001.
Judge Delahunt sentenced Byrne on one of the charges and adjourned sentencing on the three remaining charges to January next year to allow the preparation of a "comprehensive probation report".
Judge Delahunt suspended the sentence on condition that Byrne keep the peace and be of good behaviour for 12 months and that she attend the probation service for the next 18 months.The charges Byrne admitted represented sample charges.
Det Garda Anne Ellis agreed with Caroline Biggs BL, defending, that Byrne told gardaí she spent most of the money on clothes and a car and accepted that Byrne could be described as a "shopaholic".