Photographer who stole €27,000 from employers awaits sentencing

Arciphel

http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/eyaukfaugbsn/

A Kildare photographer who stole €27,000 from his employers will be sentenced next month at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.

Graham Hynes (aged 31), claimed he took the money because he fell back into heroin use after staying clean for several years.

Hynes, a father of one from Fernspark, Fern Bridge, Monasterevin, pleaded guilty to stealing €26,836 at Blanchardstown from Photo Corporation Ireland Limited on a date unknown between April 26 and May 19, 2007. He also pleaded guilty to possession of a forged driving license.

Garda David Maye told prosecuting counsel, Mr Garnett Orange BL, that Hynes was hired by the company in August 2006 to drive to various locations around the country and take photographs of people. He would then return a few weeks later to sell the pictures. It later emerged he used a forged driving license to get the job.

Starting in April 2007, he went on five trips to take photographs. Each time he filled out the paper work and collected the money from customers but failed to lodge it in the company account.

His manager became suspicious and alerted gardaí who contacted Hynes. He arranged to be interviewed voluntarily and admitted taking the money but claimed he never planned to keep it. He said he had spent €7,100 of the stolen money on heroin after he "slipped" back into his addiction.

He claimed the rest of the cash had been stolen from him when he was at a party. Gda Maye added that Hynes had seven previous convictions including robbery, theft and road traffic offences.

Gardaí called to his house and he handed over the forged driving license and the cheques he had stolen. However these were of no value as they had already been cancelled by the company.

Defence counsel, Mr David Staunton BL, said Hynes had a long history of drug use and suffered from a related infectious disease. He said Hynes "recognised what he did was a serious breach of trust" and was "very anxious and stressed about going into custody."

Judge Martin Nolan said he needed time to think about a sentence and remanded him in custody until next April.

PaulieC

he shoulda got his mammy to defend him. would've got off

Nisio

Could be a new irish export IMPRS "Irish Mammys Public Relations Services". Max Clifford'd be shaking in his boots.

yoshytoshy

great special offers ,lol

Dragan

Same old crap really, it's always the powerless person at the whim of whatever their choosen ailment is.

If you are going to be very anxious and stressed about ending up in custody it's a good idea to not commit crimes.

artyeva

just a question - should the company who employed him have done a garda clearance check - given that he was going to be photgraphing people - and possibly children? hindsight is 20-20 though i s'pose :cool:

a former colleague of mine [allegedly] robbed a similar amount from the company - twas only after it all hit the fan the bosses found out she has TWELVE previous convictions for theft :rolleyes:

ownknee

I can't understand how he managed to get away with that amount of money. And who brings €20,000 to a party, then gets it stolen?

Wacko

This guy must be reasonably talented as a photographer to get a job with them ? doesn't sound like your average heroin addict, with forged driving licenses, portfolios and good with a camera ? Would have guessed cocaine if anything, anyway 27 grand sounds like a lot of photos.

Fionn

another overpaid photographer!!
nearly five and a half grand a touch - nice work if you can get it.
Photo Corporation Ireland Limited have that 'Pixifoto' a mobile thing you'd often see in shopping centres etc. doing kids portraits and that! must be great money in it

mikeanywhere

I missed the ebay sales too, damn!! :P

Dragan

Wacko wrote: »

This guy must be reasonably talented as a photographer to get a job with them ? doesn't sound like your average heroin addict, with forged driving licenses, portfolios and good with a camera ? Would have guessed cocaine if anything, anyway 27 grand sounds like a lot of photos.

A forged driving licence would be pretty easy to come across. You could get a reasonable quality one for a tonne or two.

Heroin addicts come in all shapes and sizes. About a year ago i spent a pleasant evening talking with a chap who was 45, a solicitor over in England. He had 4 kids, a happy wife and a nice home. Heroin was his thing. He was actually writing a book called "25 years on and still not a junkie".