A CIE employee who defrauded the company of £106,000 through making fictitious claims has received a three-year suspended sentence by Judge Elizabeth Dunne at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Shirley Cummins (32), Lorcan Green, Santry, Dublin, pleaded guilty to six sample charges out of 120, of defrauding CIE dating from January 12th, 1994, to March 31st, 1998. She had no previous convictions.
Det Insp Declan Coburn told Mr Fergal Foley, prosecuting, that she recorded each transaction on her computer with a view "she would be caught some time" and provided gardai with the list. She defrauded the company while she investigated and negotiated settlements for Bus Eireann and Bus Atha Cliath accident claims and made fictitious claims for some other person or instead, "authorised" a fictitious claim. He said she defrauded £106,000 through 40 fictitious cheques and had spent the money on living expenses, holidays and clothing. This meant there was no compensation available.
Mr Brendan Grogan SC, defending, said his client said his client got so she was so embroiled in the fraud that the only way out was to resign from CIE. She later got a job with an insurance company but is now out of work. Cummins had instructed that compensation could be offered to CIE from the proceeds of a claim she was making arising out of a car crash last May.
Judge Dunne said given the amount and four-year timespan, it was hard to see how a custodial sentence could not be imposed. However, it would be unfair to impose one because reports were unavailable from the probation and welfare services.