AN unemployed man who had become involved in a GAA club conceived the idea of making hurleys as a business, but ended up forging documents to try to secure a grant from the Meath County Enterprise Board, Trim Circuit Court was told yesterday.
Michael Barron (46), St Oliver's Park, Ratoath, Co Meath, had made an application to the board for grant aid but learned he could only avail of it if he established he had spent money on new machinery. However, he had acquired second-hand machinery and was not eligible, said Mr Des O'Neill, prosecuting.
He said the defendant had forged documents purporting to show he had incurred expenses and if he had been successful with his attempt he would have secured £10,000 from the board.
In court Barron admitted 26 counts of forgery involving false cash sale invoices for equipment and labour totalling more than £10,000.
Det Garda Leonard Conaty, from the Garda Bureau of Fraud, said a complaint had been received in April 1995 - from the Meath County Enterprise Board. Barron had applied for a grant the previous October to assist in starting his business.
He told gardai he was made redundant by Nissan in Clonee, Co Meath, in 1986, and the following year became involved in the local GAA club. He had found it hard to find a supply of hurleys and did market research and in 1991 found there was a market to manufacture them.
He met an official of the Meath County Enterprise Board and anticipated that the total cost of starting the business would be £67,000. He was told he would only get a grant for new equipment and the board would not pay out without receipts.
He said he had borrowed £4,500 from the credit union and £5,000 from his mother and when told he would not get the grant without receipts thought of making the receipts. He said he felt the money was due to him.
In his statement to gardai he said he was under pressure financially and time was running out for the grant.
Mr Fergal Kavanagh, defending, said his client had to spend £10,000 to get a grant of £10,000 and was in a Catch-22 situation.
Judge Patrick Smith said the offences arose from Barron's effort to get money out of desperation to get the business off the ground. He was of good character and it was not a case for a custodial sentence. He imposed a 15-month sentence but suspended it for two years.