A NURSE who was given a non-custodial sentence for stealing thousands of euro from a dying patient has again been spared a jail sentence when she appeared in court for possessing forged prescriptions.
Doreen Appleby (59) previously worked as a night nurse with the Irish Cancer Society. She was given a two-year sentence, suspended for five years by Judge Frank O’Donnell in March 2010.
The judge called it a “total breach of trust” and said Appleby “had put her hand into the pocket of a dying lady”. However, he also noted her lack of previous convictions and battle with alcohol and imposed a two-year sentence, suspended for five years.
“I hope you never have anything to do with this court again,” he told her as she walked from the courtroom.
Her case was re-entered before Dublin Circuit Criminal Court yesterday for reactivation of the sentence after she pleaded guilty in the District Court to presenting forged prescriptions at three different pharmacies.
Judge Martin Nolan heard she had a continuing alcohol and prescription drug problems and had made full admissions to the offences. He said he would not reactivate her suspended sentence and would let the District Court deal with the forgery charges.
In March 2010, Appleby of Carrickmore Gardens, Saggart, Co Dublin, pleaded guilty to three counts of stealing cheques from Bernadette Monaghan and her husband Hugh at their house on Mount Anville Road, Goatstown, Dublin, between February 10th and 13th, 2007.
Det Sgt Seán Hogan told prosecuting counsel, Garret Baker, that Appleby was caring for the terminally ill woman and finished her shift two hours before she passed away.
Shortly beforehand Ms Monaghan had received a cheque from ACC bank for €19,990. Her daughter, who was handling all of her affairs, put the cheque in a gift box which also contained Ms Monaghan’s funeral arrangements.
When she passed away her daughter went to retrieve her funeral requests and noticed the cheque was missing.