A man who fraudulently used a Limerick property developer’s bank details to purchase a BMW SUV has been jailed for 2½ years.
Gareth Delaney (25), of Hyde Court, Golf Links Road, Roscommon, pleaded guilty at Limerick Circuit Criminal Court to theft using bank account details belonging to Jerry O’Sullivan, of Appletree Developments, Ballysimon, Limerick.
Prosecuting barrister John O’Sullivan told the court O’Sullivan contacted gardaí after he noticed a number of “suspicious” withdrawals from his business bank account on dates between December 31st, 2024 and January 13th, 2025.
Gardaí examined the account and established that €30,214.29 had been fraudulently withdrawn by Delaney.
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The defendant was arrested after he used his own name and address to purchase items using his phone, including a BMW X5 SUV which cost €27,000.
Delaney told gardaí he discovered the bank account details on a business card.
Delaney, acknowledged in interviews with gardaí that he had no right to withdraw funds belonging to O’Sullivan.
The court heard Delaney had reimbursed all of the money taken and the SUV was returned to the dealership where it was purchased.
Donal Cronin, barrister for Delaney, noted that some of the items fraudulently purchased had been delivered to Delaney’s home and gardaí agreed that the offending “lacked sophistication”.
Cronin said Delaney had worked as an apprentice mechanic and lorry driver, and felt “shame” and “remorse” over the thefts.
The accused had an undiagnosed ADHD condition at that time, was impulsive and under financial pressure, he said.
Judge Colin Daly said Delaney was, in his opinion, “an intelligent young man who clearly knew what he was doing was wrong”.
“The theft of the car was for his own gratification.”
The judge set a headline sentence of five years, which he reduced to three years. He further reduced the sentence by six months after taking into account the early guilty plea, Delaney’s remorse and the absence of previous theft convictions.
