An Ennis woman has been convicted of stealing nearly 27 thousand euro from an 87 year old resident of Saint Joseph’s Hospital.
Josephine O’Brien of Bridge View, Roslevan, was found guilty on nine of the ten counts of theft from the bank account of Stephen O’Halloran.
Sentencing has been adjourned until a later date
The jury at Ennis Circuit Court took just under two hours to find Josephine O’Brien guilty of stealing €26,852 from the bank account of Stephen O’Halloran between July 2006 and October 2010.
The court heard that the pair first met when they were patients at Ennis General Hospital, and later shared accommodation.
After 87-year-old Mr. O’Halloran went into St. Joseph’s in December 2005, he said he gave O’Brien his ATM card "to look after"- but added she didn’t have his consent to withdraw money.
He discovered there was little or no funds left in late 2010.
In a garda interview, Ms O’Brien denied spending the money on herself, saying the proceeds were used to open a "drop in centre for the homeless." She is a spokeswoman for the Homeless Education and Learning Project in Ennis and recently highlighted the plight of the two Eastern European men who were living in public toilets in the town.
Legal aid for Josephine O’Brien was extended to allow for a psychiatric report to be carried out. She’s due to be sentenced before Ennis Circuit Court in June.
