Latest news with #breachoftrust
Irish Times
2 days ago
- Irish Times
‘She was living a double life': Bursar of private secondary school jailed for stealing €500,000
A bursar of a private secondary school has been jailed for one year for stealing half a million euros from the school to fund a gambling addiction. The judge said that, despite mitigation, including her selling her home and signing over her pension to repay most of the money, the 'egregious breach of trust' had to be marked with a custodial sentence. Mary Higgins (63), with an address at Hawthorn Lawn, Castleknock, was sentenced by Judge Orla Crowe at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on Thursday. She had pleaded guilty to stealing €500,000 from Mount Sackville Secondary School in Chapelizod between January 1st, 2012, and March 23, 2017. The court heard last month that she had spent 12 years attending the school and 24 years working there. READ MORE Judge Crowe remarked today that it was 'an unusual situation for a woman of her age, whose life revolved around her work in that school and who developed a gambling problem'. However, she said that Higgins was in a position of trust and had 'committed what was an egregious breach of trust over an extended period of time'. She described as an aggravating factor the 'considerable amount of money' involved. The court previously heard that she told gardaí that she had hoped and prayed every day for 'a big win' to pay the school back. At a previous hearing, Det Gda Brendan O'Hora stated that Higgins had controlled all aspects of the school's cash flow, was the main signatory on its bank accounts, and managed the lodgements. When cash was received in the school, it was placed in a folder for her, and she decided how it was to be allocated. He explained that, while parents received receipts, there was no cash receipts book, no copy of receipts was ever kept, and there was no oversight. However, it was another employee who prepared ledger cards for each child attending the school. This employee noticed that, from time to time, they were rewritten by Ms Higgins. The principal was informed, and, in March 2017, it was decided that an auditor would be brought in. Higgins told the principal that she had taken cash from the school over time and used it for her gambling addiction. She said she had taken about €500,000 and that she had a property she could sell. She was so distressed that the school was concerned for her wellbeing and suggested she attend her GP. She was placed on administrative leave. The Director of Public Prosecutions proceeded on the basis of the defendant's own admissions. Det Gda O'Hora said that Higgins had co-operated fully with gardaí and the forensic accountant. She had stressed she was the only person involved in the theft. She stated during interview that she had spent all of the money on gambling and was able to identify money having been paid to bookies. The detective explained that she was able to hide what she'd been doing as some fees were paid in advance. She had no previous convictions and had since repaid €470,949.62. Under cross-examination from Ronan Kennedy SC, defending, the detective agreed that this was an unsophisticated offence, and he accepted that she'd had unfettered access to the cash due to a lack of oversight. The court heard that she was very remorseful during her interviews with the gardaí. She told them that she had spent 36 years at the school, was not married, had no children and that her job was her life. Det Gda O'Hora added that her social life, too, and therefore her whole life, had revolved around the school. 'I believe she showed true remorse,' he added. 'Notwithstanding what she'd done, she was a pleasure to deal with.' The court heard that she had attended the Rutland Centre for her addiction and had also engaged with counsellors for personal therapy. Higgins has since returned to education, studying addiction and counselling so she could use her own experience to help others. She'd received a postgraduate qualification from Trinity College, and a Master's degree in counselling psychotherapy and has been providing voluntary counselling services to others. The court heard that she had sold her home and another apartment, and had also signed over her pension to repay the money. She now lives with her 93-year-old mother and receives €260 per week in carer's allowance to provide the 24-hour care she needs. Mr Kennedy said that during her time at Mount Sackville, she had overseen maintenance and capital building, with €7 million in profits reinvested into the school. Things changed in 2012, and some responsibilities were removed from her, impacting her self-esteem. She found herself having more time on her hands and, with no hobbies, she engaged in the secretive activity of gambling. 'She was living a double life,' he said. He noted that there was a shortfall of €29,000 in what she had repaid, but said that she was committed to paying it back if made a condition of her sentence. Counsel handed in several testimonials from current and former staff at the school, including a former principal and deputy principal. Letters from family members were also handed in. Judge Crowe imposed a three-year sentence but, in light of the substantial mitigation, she suspended the final two years on her own bond of €100.
Daily Mail
13-06-2025
- Daily Mail
Paedophile NHS anaesthetist, 37, who took indecent photos of unconscious patients including girl, five, loses bid to shorten jail sentence
An anaesthetist who took indecent photos of a five-year-old girl while she lay unconscious has lost a bid to shorten his sentence. Edward Finn committed 'about as egregious breach of trust as can be imagined' when he captured the pictures of four female victims. The 37-year-old made indecent images of a five-year-old girl and an adult patient after he anaesthetised them. And he also took photos of his wife while she was asleep, as well as a three-year-old daughter of a family friend. Finn was sentenced in June 2024 to eight years in jail with an extended licence of four years after pleading guilty at Nottingham Crown Court. He subsequently challenged the length of his sentence - though the Court of Appeal in London has now dismissed this. Mr Justice Johnson, sitting with Lord Justice Fraser and Judge Martin Picton, said Finn's offences took place between 2014 and 2023. He was caught after his wife found images of naked children on an old iPad, in a folder labelled 'hidden', the judge said. Further investigations into all of Finn's devices revealed thousands of indecent images of children, including more than a hundred in the most serious category, and images of an adult and a child taken during the course of his work. Finn, from Cotgrave in Nottinghamshire, told officers he was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder after a girl he was treating had died. He also tried to take his own life before he was arrested and charged, the court heard. Andrew Wesley, for Finn, said at the appeal hearing on Friday that the sentence was too long because of 'the mathematics' of how it was reached. But the judges dismissed the appeal, with Mr Justice Johnson adding: 'This was about as egregious a breach of trust as can be imagined.' He continued: 'We conclude that the sentence imposed was not wrong in principle or manifestly excessive. 'We therefore dismiss the appeal.'
BBC News
13-06-2025
- BBC News
Paedophile anaesthetist's sentence appeal dismissed
An anaesthetist who took indecent images of an unconscious young girl in hospital has had an appeal against the length of his jail term Court of Appeal heard Edward Finn, 37, committed "about as egregious a breach of trust as can be imagined" when he took pictures of the girl and of an adult patient while anaesthetised under his admitted one count of sexual assault of a child under 13, three counts of making indecent photographs of children, three counts of taking indecent photographs of children, and two counts of pleading guilty at Nottingham Crown Court, Finn was sentenced in June 2024 to eight years in jail with an extended licence of four years. His appeal against the sentence was dismissed at the Court of Appeal in Justice Johnson, sitting with Lord Justice Fraser and Judge Martin Picton, said Finn's offences took place between 2014 and was discovered after his wife found images of naked children on an old iPad, in a folder labelled "hidden", the judge investigations into all of Finn's devices revealed thousands of indecent images of children, including more than a hundred in the most serious category, and images of an adult and a child taken during the course of his work. 'Breach of trust' Finn, from Hollygate Lane, Cotgrave, told officers he was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder after a girl he was treating had Wesley, for Finn, said at the appeal hearing on Friday the sentence was too long because of "the mathematics" of how it was the judges dismissed the Justice Johnson, dismissing the appeal, said the sentence was "not wrong in principle or manifestly excessive" and added: "This was about as egregious a breach of trust as can be imagined."
News.com.au
05-06-2025
- General
- News.com.au
Man jailed for 21 years over sexual abuse of two daughters
A predatory father who committed ongoing sexual abuse against his two daughters has been jailed for 21 years, as a judge labelled his actions a 'breach of trust of the highest order'. The man, who can only be called SN, was found guilty of 23 charges – including multiple counts each of indecent assault and sexual intercourse without consent – after a landmark trial before the NSW District Court last year. During the trial, one of the victims gave evidence as several of her 22 different personalities. On Thursday, the court heard of the horrific abuse the girls were subjected to at their family home in the Hunter Region over six to seven years, and how SN has shown no remorse. Judge Ian Bourke recounted how one of the girls, AB, was abused in bedrooms, in the bath and on several occasions in the shower after being cornered by her father. On one occasion, when AB came to tell SN their other family members had left the home, he said: 'Good, we get some alone time'. She tried to leave the room but he ordered her to 'sit the f*** back down' before sexually abusing her. After one of the incidents a distressed AB told her father she would 'cut off' his penis if he ever tried to abuse her again. Judge Bourke said he believed the accounts of both AB and her sister LN that the charged incidents were not the only cases of sexual abuse they were subjected to by SN. 'Depraved' actions This meant, the judge said, the offences for which he was to be sentenced could not be considered 'lapses' or 'isolated aberration'. 'It has been said the sexual abuse by a father of their own child is a breach of trust of the highest order,' Judge Bourke said. There was nothing in SN's past that could 'explain, let alone mitigate' his actions, the judge said. 'The offender preyed on his two children for his own selfish and depraved sexual gratification,' Judge Bourke said on sentence. 'The offender maintains his innocence and so there is no remorse.' Both victims – who were aged in their teens at the time of the incidents – also spoke of ongoing physical and emotional abuse from their father, the court heard. During the trial, the court was told LN had been diagnosed with dissociative identity disorder and was just one of 22 'system members' – or distinct personalities. 'We tell the truth' She gave evidence over 10 days and was sworn in under multiple personalities, including that of a five-year-old girl. On the stand, LN told the jury she had no memory of her life before the age of 18 when she 'solidified' her identity. Later, the jury watched as the entity of the little girl emerged on request from SN's barrister after LN put on some headphones and listened to music. She sucked on her pointer finger and clutched a stuffed bunny rabbit as she answered Garry Sundstrom's questions in a childlike manner. The court heard the five-year-old entity, who spoke in third person, told police she did not like 'the tickling game' her father allegedly played with her. '[I] say 'no daddy no',' she said. Speaking as LN, she said under cross-examination the system members 'do nothing but tell the truth, Garry'. 'And we will die saying what our father did – no matter if it's me or other system members – happened.' Judge Bourke sentenced SN to a non-parole period of 14 years, backdated from when he was taken into custody in December, meaning he would first be eligible for release in 2038. A domestic violence order was also set down to remain in place until 2047, two years after SN's head sentence would expire in 2045.
CBC
04-06-2025
- General
- CBC
Former Edmonton homicide detective charged with breach of trust
Social Sharing A former Edmonton police officer has been charged with breach of trust for sharing confidential investigative information with the media without authorization. Retired Staff Sgt. Bill Clark was charged Tuesday, Edmonton Police Service said in a news release. Police provided few details about the allegations, but said the investigation was conducted by the Edmonton Police Service Professional Standards Branch with oversight from the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team, the province's police watchdog. The investigation was reviewed by the Alberta Crown Prosecution Services in Calgary to determine if criminal charges were warranted. Prosecutors recommended the former officer be charged with one count of breach of trust, police said. Police declined to provide further details on the investigation as the case is currently before the court. CBC News reached Clark Wednesday but he declined to comment on the charge or the investigation. Clark served 44 years with Edmonton police before his retirement in May 2024. He was a high-profile and vocal member of the EPS and his tenure with the service was not without controversy. In 2011, his remarks about a homicide at busy nightclub triggered a complaint from the victim's widow, who suggested he had unfairly labelled Edmonton's Somali community as unwilling to co-operate with police. Following the shooting, Clark had expressed his frustration that only one witness gave police a description of a suspect even though the club was full of people. In 2018, he faced a formal complaint for comments he made about criminals and the death penalty during a guest lecture at the University of Alberta. A group of law students later stepped forward to defend his remarks. He was ultimately docked 10 hour's pay. A longtime homicide detective, he was known for his candid approach to media interviews. He served as detective on a string of high-profile murder and missing persons cases. Before he retired in 2024, he was suspended without pay, pending the outcome of the professional standards branch investigation. Breach of trust is an indictable offence and can result in a sentence of up to 14 years.
