Galway Bay fm newsroom- A Headford man has been handed a suspended sentence for stealing more than €44 thousand from his Dublin school.
Marcus Wynne was the principal of Grace Park Educate Together National School in Drumcondra.
41 year-old Marcus Wynne, with an address at Cloughanover, Headford, was appointed principal of Grace Park Educate Together National School in 2016.
Over a two and a half year period beginning in August 2016, he stole more than €44 thousand in 430 transactions.
Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard Mr. Wynne forged invoices to account for the missing money and spent it on everyday expenses, including groceries, fuel, hotels, holidays, jewellery, clothing, taxis and restaurants.
The fraud came to light when Mr Wynne went on sick leave in January 2019, and staff discovered fake documents in his desk.
He's since saved €30 thousand to hand back to the school, and gave an assurance in court that he would repay the debt in full if he was not imprisoned.
He pleaded guilty to nine counts of theft and eight counts of producing a false instrument at various locations in Galway and Dublin.
Mr. Wynne broke down in tears when Judge Martin Nolan ruled that althought he had let his former school community down - he did not deserve a custodial sentence.
Judge Nolan accepted he had addiction issues at the time of the offences and had made efforts to repay the money, and handed down a three year suspended sentence.
