A woman who stole nearly €100,000 from the bank account of a doctor whose apartment she cleaned has been ordered to do 240 hours of community service or serve two years in jail.
Ann Peacocke (46) admitted using the money to pay off rent arrears as well as buying a car and paying for a trip to Spain for her daughter, two trips to England, her mother-in-law's funeral expenses, new windows for her house and grocery shopping.
Peacocke, a mother of two from Ballyogan Lawn, Carrickmines, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to 14 sample counts of larceny between September 2000 and September 2001. She had no previous convictions.
Det Sgt Denis Heneghan told Ms Tara Burns, prosecuting, that Dr John Crown had separated from his wife some time before the offences and had moved out of the family home into Seamount apartments in Stillorgan.
Dr Crown and his wife had a joint AIB account in Sandyford, and when they separated the bank sent them separate ATM cards and PIN numbers.
Peacocke was a cleaner who was regularly at Dr Crown's apartment. When his bank card arrived he recalled leaving it on a desk in his house and he never saw it again.
Det Sgt Heneghan said it was not until a number of months later that Dr Crown realised how overdrawn the account was and he contacted the gardaí to make a complaint.
Until then he had assumed his wife was using the account.
Gardaí discovered that between September 2000 and September 2001 there had been 315 cash withdrawals with his card.
Dr Crown had never even used the card.
Det Sgt Heneghan said it became clear that someone else with regular access to the apartment must have taken the card. Gardaí were led to Peacocke, who admitted taking the money but could not believe it when told that £76,490 (€97,142) had been taken.
There was no extravagance of wealth in Peacocke's home but she said she began taking smaller amounts and it got out of control. The incidences came as a great loss to the Crowns and they had to discharge a huge tax liability as a result.
Ms Marie Torrens, for Peacocke, said her client used to give the rent and the bills to her husband to pay, but he was an alcoholic and was physically abusive to her. The only money she received was €135 a week in disability and €235 a month in children's allowance. The reality was that she had no funds from which to offer compensation.
Judge Desmond Hogan said they were serious offences but he was reluctant to send her to jail at this time.
He imposed a two-year sentence but directed that she carry out community service in lieu.