Mother who stole up to €395k from credit union took out false loans on members' accounts
A Dublin mother-of-one who stole up to €395,000 over a decade from a credit union will be sentenced in April.
The court heard Susan Redmond (aged 49) had worked at Larkhill and District Credit Union in Dublin for 20 years and began taking out false loans on members' accounts in 2003.
Redmond completed and signed loan applications and then issued cheques, which she cashed.
Detective Garda Dominic McGrath revealed that Redmond's colleagues noticed irregularities on accounts while she was on holidays and this launched an extensive investigation.
Redmond, of Thornville Drive, Kilbarrack, Dublin, affirmed signed guilty pleas at Dublin Circuit Court to 10 sample charges of stealing from the credit union on dates from July 3, 2003, to April 26, 2013.
Det. Gda McGrath said this sample represented 102 theft charges.
He told Barry Ward BL, prosecuting, that the 40 account holders affected by Redmond's thefts were her friends and family and that they were all reimbursed by the credit union.
He said none of the account holders made statements to gardaí as they were not “forthcoming with information”.
The detective said investigators were able to see money moving in and out of Redmond's bank account over the period, but it was not clear what she was spending the money on.
He said in some instances she was taking out more false loans to pay back previous false loans.
The detective agreed with Justin McQuade BL, defending, that this was an “unsophisticated” fraud and that Redmond had nothing to show for it.
He further agreed Redmond had lost a job she took up after leaving the credit union because of publicity while the case was in the District Court.
Det. Gda McGrath said “luck had a part to play” as previous audits at the credit union had not been carried out on the accounts Redmond was using.
He told Judge Melanie Greally that he didn't believe any of the account holders affected had been complicit. He said investigators couldn't find any purchases like a car, holidays or expensive jewellery in Redmond's records.
He said Redmond told gardaí she couldn't put her finger on one sizeable purchase she ever made and that the money went on day-to-day things.
Redmond's sister, Collette Clarke, told Mr McQuade that their family was close-knit and that she saw “no huge warning signs”.
Ms Clarke said she noticed Redmond buying clothes and spending on hair and makeup, but thought the expenses were going on credit cards or coming out of a loan.
This witness told Judge Greally that her credit union account was among those affected. She said Redmond had issued a false loan of €20,000 without her knowledge on this account just before the fraud came to light.
Michael Dempsey, a clinical psychologist, told Mr McQuade that Redmond was a vulnerable woman who “fit the criteria for compulsive buying disorder” and was “severely depressed”.
He added that her son was very dependent on her and that she had been in difficult romantic relationships.
Mr McQuade told Judge Greally that Redmond had €20,000 in court as a token of remorse. He asked the judge to take into account his client's lack of previous convictions, her high level of co-operation and her personal circumstances.
Judge Greally adjourned the case so that Redmond can be assessed by The Probation Service. She remanded Redmond on continuing bail until April next.
