A West Clare-based An Post agent has escaped jail after she stole over 12,000 euro from five pensioners and from An Post.
57-year Maureen Walsh of the Lighthouse Inn, Kilbaha received a four-month suspended jail sentence at Kilrush District Court.
Judge Patrick Durcan told Maureen Walsh that she had breached “her obligation and truthfulness to members of her own community”.
In relation to two pensioners, Ms Walsh withheld 22 Dept of Social Welfare payments of €4,198 and further sums were withheld from three other pensioners totaling hundreds of euro.
Ms Walsh also pleaded guilty to a separate charge of stealing €8,250 directly from Austin Dunne of An Post over a three year period from May 10th 2013 to March 8th 2016.
Ms Walsh operated the Kilbaha Postal Agency for An Post where it was her job to distribute social welfare payments to social welfare customers in her area.
The court heard that she had told the victims that there wasn’t money in the account, and her role with An Post was terminated when this came to light.
Det Garda Conor Flaherty said Ms Walsh carried out the crime because she was under financial pressure.
Her solicitor Joe Chambers said she did not gain personally from her offences, that all of the money has been paid back and that she is ashamed of what she did.
