Carer pleads guilty to stealing over €45,000 from elderly woman

Noel Baker

A woman has pleaded guilty to stealing more than €45,000 from an elderly person for whom she was acting as a carer.

Catherine Gregg, of the Cottage, Ballinaclashet, Belgooly, Co Cork, entered a signed plea at Bandon District Court and will now progress to Cork Circuit Criminal Court for sentencing.

The court heard the 46-year-old had been the carer of the injured party, an elderly woman.

Ms Gregg faced 17 different charges, dating from September 1st, 2018, to September 30th, 2021, involving various amounts.

Her solicitor, Tony Greenway, confirmed to Judge James McNulty that Ms Gregg would be entering a signed plea.

Sgt Paul Kelly told the judge that the 17 allegations of theft were under section 4 of the Criminal Justice Theft and Fraud Offences Act and that all related to when Ms Gregg was working as a carer.

Some of the amount involved were as small as €14.50, but also involved larger sums, such as €1,866.69 which taken on a date in November 2018.

The overall amount stolen totalled €45,773.93, the court was told. The Judge also heard it involved the same injured party in all incidents.

Judge McNulty described the offences as “a serious matter”.

Ms Gregg was released on bail on her own bond of €5,000, to appear before the Cork Circuit Criminal Court on Thursday for sentencing.

Legal aid was extended to cover those proceedings.