Former Cork City player to be sentenced for theft next month

Olivia Kelleher

Former Cork City FC player George O’Callaghan has paid compensation and will be sentenced next month for the theft of over €23,000 from a fitness centre.

O Callaghan of Lisduff, Whitechurch, Co Cork, was on the list for sentencing at Cork Circuit Criminal Court on Monday.

Judge Helen Boyle heard that compensation monies had been handed over in the case.

An application was made that the case be further adjourned until next month to allow for the preparation of an up-to-date probation report.

The judge directed that a report be compiled prior to the sentencing hearing in the case on June 24th next.

O’Callaghan affirmed a signed plea of guilty in the case in February of this year.

The 46-year-old pleaded guilty “that on dates between August 1st 2020, and December 23rd 2021, at Anytime Fitness, Eastgate, Ballincollig, County Cork, in the District Court area of Cork city, he did steal property, to wit, €23,645, the property of Holohan Fitness Ltd trading as Anytime Fitness.”

The charge was brought under the Criminal Justice (Theft and Fraud Offences) Act 2001.

Defence barrister Neal Horgan previously told the court that his client had addiction issues at the time of the offence. Free legal aid was previously granted in the case at the district court level.

Defence solicitor Frank Buttimer told the court that his client was not in receipt of income having “lost his situation” arising out of his issues.

Background details on the offence will be outlined at the sentencing hearing next month. O’Callaghan played with Cork City FC from 2002 to 2007.

He made 11 appearances for Ipswich Town between 2007 and 2008.

He started his career with Portvale in the mid 1990’s. He also played for Tranmere Rovers, Dundalk, Yeovil Town, Waterford United, Cambridge United, Dover Athletic and DPMM FC in Brunei.

He was also a manager of Sabah in the Malaysia Premier League from 2014 to 2015.