Gambling addict stole €78k from his employers 15/03/2010 - 14:28:18
An addicted gambler who stole over €78,000 from the insurance company where he had worked for seven years has been given a four-year suspended sentence at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Peter Dillon (aged 31) a single father, took cash payments from customers for premiums for house and car insurance but did not pass the money onto Cornmarket Group Financial Services.
He then altered the receipts that had to be kept for company records claiming that the payments had been made by credit card, laser, postal order and credit transfer but the company never received the funds.
He later sent an email to Cornmarket employees, following an internal investigation, confessing that he had been involved in the taking of cash from the company that should have been paid against certain policies.
The investigation in Cornmarket concluded that there had been 132 cases in which Dillon deliberately stole cash resulting in a total loss to the company of €78,753.
Dillon, with an address at Ashlawn, Ballinteer Road, Dundrum, pleaded guilty to theft from Cornmarket on dates between April 30 2006 and January 8, 2007.
Judge Katherine Delahunt noted that Dillon has now reimbursed Cornmarket more than half the funds and has been attending regularly for counseling in relation to his addiction.
She said that a probation report before the court was positive before she suspended the sentence on the condition that Dillon continue with his repayment schedule to Cornmarket and attending gamblers anonymous.
Judge Delahunt adjourned the case to next June to see if Dillon would be suitable for community service when she said she will order that he carry out 240 hours work in the community in lieu of a four year prison term.
Sergeant Mark Kelly told Mr Garrett Baker BL, prosecuting, that Dillon had been working with Cornmarket Group Financial Services since 2000 and had been promoted to a position where he had responsibility for accepting payment from customers for premiums.
He was informed in 2007 that he was under investigation and was suspended but he offered his resignation which Cornmarket accepted.
He voluntarily came to the garda station where he made full admissions and stated that he had “personal problems” and a gambling addiction which he described as “a form of escapism that had got out of control”.
Sgt Kelly agreed with Mr Seamus Clarke BL, defending, that Dillon had already paid €20,000 back to Cornmarket which he raised through loans from family and friends.
He accepted that Dillon has offered to arrange a monthly payment of €1,000 to Cornmarket until he has fully compensated the company for its loss.
Sgt Kelly further accepted that if Dillon managed to keep his gambling addiction under control he believed he would not come to garda attention again.
Mr Clarke told Judge Delahunt that his client had a seven-year-old daughter who stayed with him two nights a week.
He said his client wished to offer an unreserved apology to Cornmarket for his behaviour.
He said that Dillon has since secured a new job in Wexford.
