Public health nurse charged with stealing over €50,000 from pensioner

A 46-year-old public health nurse from Cork has been sent forward for trial by judge and jury on charges that she stole over €50,000 from an 85-year-old pensioner over a 13 month period.

Deirdre Kenneally from Letrim, Kilworth, Co Cork made her second appearance at Fermoy District Court yesterday on 62 counts of theft on various dates between May 2015 and June 2016.

The state alleges in 59 charges that a Laser card was used to withdraw money at an ATM and in three other charges sums of €20,000, €15,000 and €5,000 were stolen from a deposit account.

Yesterday, Insp Tony O’Sullivan said the DPP had directed trial by indictment before a judge and jury for Ms Kenneally on the 62 charges and he confirmed a book of evidence had been served on her.

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He applied to have Ms Kenneally returned to the next sittings of Cork Circuit Criminal Court commencing on February 6th and said the state had no objection to her being remanded on bail.

Judge Brian Sheridan granted the state application and remanded Ms Kenneally on her own bond of €500 to appear at Cork Circuit Criminal Court on February 6th for trial on indictment.

He also granted Ms Kenneally free legal aid and assigned solicitor, Joe Cuddigan to represent her on the charges which follow an investigation into her when working as a public health nurse in Fermoy.

At an earlier hearing in November when Det Garda Denis Ryan gave evidence of arresting and charging Ms Kenneally, Mr Cuddigan stressed that she would be vigorously contesting the charges.

“I want to put it on record that my client in this particular case will be contesting in full each and every allegation up to and including the trial at the circuit court,” said Mr Cuddigan.