Store manager stole over €1,000 to help mother pay mortgage
By Brendan Grehan
A STORE MANAGER in H&M in Liffey Valley stole over €1,000 by processing refunds and pocketing the money, Blanchardstown District Court has heard.
Gary Maguire stole the money and used it to assist his mother in paying her mortgage.
Maguire, aged 26, with an address at Garrynisk Road, Kingswood Heights, Tallaght, pleaded guilty to stealing €60 and €40 on January 28, 2016, €90 and €80 on February 5, 2016, €70 and €90 on February 7, 2016, €50 and €80 on February 12, 2016, €40, €70, €70 and €90 on February 13, 2016, €70 on February 18, 2016, €40, €30, €40 and €55 on February 22, 2016, €40, €50 and €30 on February 23, 2016.
Sergeant Maria Callaghan told Judge David McHugh that Maguire had been a store manager in H&M in LiffeyValley and on dates between January 28 and February 23, 2016, he copied customers transactions and went to the back of the store and processed refunds for the transactions without the customers’ consent. The total amount taken was €1,115.
She said that Maguire has no previous convictions
Maguire’s counsel, Alan Delany Bl, said his client had been depressed at the time and was using the money to assist his mother in paying her mortgage.
He said Maguire’s father had left the family when his client was four and the mother had raised the family alone.
Mr Delany said his client had lost a number of jobs after the incident when his new employers had found out what had happened in H & M.
Mr Delany asked the judge to put the case back for a probation report.
Judge McHugh asked Mr Delany why he should do that and why he should not deal with the case today.
He told Mr Delany: “Why should I do that. Your client used his skills to become manager of H & M and he then stole from his employers, breaching the criminal law and his fiduciary duties as manager of the store.”
Mr Delany accepted that there had been a breach of trust in his client’s actions.
Judge McHugh remanded Maguire on bail to a date in March for a probation report.
