In her victim impact statement, Sister Teresa McCullagh told the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court “Knowing I had been betrayed by someone I thought of as a friend made it even more difficult” reports RTE.
Sister Teresa’s victim impact statement was read out in court at the criminal trial of 51 year old Avril O’Brien, an office manager at the Loreto playgroup in Tallaght, Dublin who was found guilty of the theft of €80,000. Sr McCullagh said she used money from her own pension to pay off some of the money owed.
Avril O’Brien, of Raheen Crescent, Tallaght, Dublin pleaded guilty to 11 sample counts of stealing money from the playgroup on dates between October 2013 and March 2016. A total of 220 counts were before the court.
According to RTE, the court heard that a total of €119,000 was lodged into O’Brien’s personal accounts during the time period, but that the figure of €80,000 theft was agreed by both parties as O’Brien was owed some of the money.
Judge Martin Nolan handed down a 36 month prison sentence but suspended the final 18 months on strict conditions, including that the €12,000 be transmitted to the organisation within a month.
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