An Armagh man who took £700 from his grandfather’s bank account without permission has been sentenced to nine weeks in prison.
The 22-year-old was also ordered to pay the full sum back with the judge telling him: “If you don’t make some payments, we will be chasing you for that money”.
Ryan Cassidy, of Killyfaddy Road, pleaded guilty to fraud by false representation and breaching bail at the city’s Magistrates’ Court on Monday.
It was heard that on October 4, police received a complaint from the injured party of an alleged theft from a joint bank account he held with his wife.
He claimed that upon checking his banking online that there had five withdrawals made to the value of £700.
All of these transactions were made through O2 via mobile phone.
The injured party claimed he had not taken any of this money out and that no one else had permission to do so.
It was heard that the injured party kept the password to his online banking beside his computer and that his grandson – the defendant – had been residing at the home at the time.
He made contact with his bank who were able to provide him with the sort code of the account which had received the money but not the account holder’s details.
However, the injured party later came across a letter belonging to Cassidy from his bank which had a corresponding sort code.
Police checked this and found that £700 had been put in the defendant’s account.
Cassidy was subsequently arrested for the offences.
When interviewed, he maintained that his grandmother had given him permission to transfer the money.
Defence barrister Kevin O’Hare stated: “Mr Cassidy is a sentenced prisoner with an estimated release date of May 8 but he has been on remand for these offences since December 17.
“He has therefore instructed me that he wishes to waive his right to a pre-sentence report”.
Court heard the defendant also had a live suspended sentence which he had received in March of 2018 which related to charges of aiding and abetting the retention of stolen goods.
Mr O’Hare said: “Mr Cassidy has been through a lot, especially due to the breakdown of his mother and father’s step-relationship but he knows he is old enough that this cannot be an excuse”.
District Judge Mark McGarrity stated: “This was taken to the day of contest, so you will not be given credit”.
Cassidy was sentenced to two months and a week in prison for the offences.
In addition, he was ordered to pay full compensation to the sum of £700, within 20 weeks.
Judge McGarrity told the defendant: “If you don’t make some payments, we will be chasing you for that money”.
