Woman who stole €5k in cash she found at Cork garda station avoids jail

A woman who found an envelope containing €5,000 in cash that was misplaced by a member of An Garda Síochána at a Cork garda station has been handed a suspended sentence in the district court.

Elizabeth Foley, aged 30, of Templebryan South, Shannonvale, Clonakilty, Co Cork, pleaded guilty to one charge of theft and one charge of simple possession of cannabis which arose from a subsequent search.

A previous hearing outlined how Foley had found an envelope at Clonakilty Garda Station containing €5,000 in cash that had been dropped by a garda working at the station. The money was intended to be used to pay a building contractor.

Elizabeth Foley was identified on CCTV arriving at the garda station on April 28, 2024, to sign on as part of her bail conditions. The court heard that she was seen on CCTV in the car park area putting a white envelope in her pocket shortly after the garda had entered the building.

The court was told that a warrant was obtained to search Foley’s residence on April 30 during which a receipt for a cash lodgement was found in the door of a car, as well as €20 worth of cannabis recovered from her bedroom.

CCTV from AIB in Clonakilty also showed Elizabeth Foley making a lodgement for €1,850 in cash on the morning of Monday, April 29, 2024.

Elizabeth Foley admitted she had taken the money and also admitted possession of cannabis for her own use. Foley had made arrangements to repay the money taken and it was fully repaid in weekly instalments with the last payment made on New Years Eve, 2024.

Judge Joanne Carroll said a probation report on Foley was “very positive” and the court heard that Foley was now in employment working as a cleaner with the Department of Agriculture.

For the theft, Foley was sentenced to three months in prison, suspended for 12 months. For the possession of cannabis the Probation Act was applied.

This article is funded by the Courts Reporting Scheme