An administrative assistant who defrauded the European Union of £71,000 when he was an employee in its Dublin office has received a 4 1/2-year suspended sentence and a fine of £2,500 from Judge Yvonne Murphy at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Sean Irving (47), Meadow park, Swinford, Co Mayo, pleaded guilty to five sample counts of larceny, the fraudulent conversion of cheques and the falsification of accounts at the European Union between March 3rd, 1995 and September 19th, 1997. Six further counts in the 36-count indictment were taken into consideration.
The offences related to 13 incidents when Irving had responsibility for the financial management of European Union funds for the functioning of the office in Dublin.
Det Garda Brian Mahon told Mr Fergal Foley, prosecuting, that Irving used three methods to obtain the money. He would make out invoices to non-existing companies and submit them to himself. Payments were then made and directed to his bank account. He also copied invoices from legitimate companies and the extra money generated there was also transferred to his own account.
He also overpaid genuine suppliers of services from invoices submitted and he would then seek the extra money back which he would transfer to his mortgage account.
The offences were detected when a member of staff became suspicious about a transaction made and notified Irving's supervisor. The gardai were subsequently contacted to investigate.
Det Garda Mahon said Irving always appeared when summoned for interview by the gardai but insisted on exercising his right to silence.
Following an internal European Union inquiry in Brussels, where Irving worked from 1985 to 1994, he was dismissed.
Det Garda Mahon agreed with Mr Erwan Mill Arden SC, defending, that Irving started to commit the offences because he had a mortgage on two houses and they were in arrears.
Mr Mill Arden said his client had moved to Mayo with his wife and four children, one of whom needed constant medical treatment. He took part in a FAS scheme and set up his own translation business from his home. Mr Mill Arden said Irving still had massive debts but in a civil action taken by the EU against him, the Union was compensated for the full amount misappropriated.
Irving told the court he was deeply sorry and very ashamed of the offences he committed.
Judge Murphy said she recognised that the guilty plea was invaluable because had it gone to trial it would have taken a number of months to hear with huge public expense.