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Irish Independent
2 days ago
- Irish Independent
‘He was living a life of secrets' — son of GAA boss Davy Fitzgerald avoids jail for stealing €35k from former employer
A son of well-known Irish hurling manager and former player Davy Fitzgerald was given a fully suspended 12-month prison sentence after he admitted stealing €35,000 from his then employer, Bank of Ireland, to feed his 'out-of-control gambling addiction'.
Irish Times
2 days ago
- Business
- Irish Times
Davy Fitzgerald's son given suspended sentence for stealing €35,000 from employer to fund gambling addiction
A son of controversial Antrim hurling manger, and Clare hurling legend, Davy Fitzgerald was given a fully suspended 12-month prison sentence after he admitted stealing €35,000 from his then employer, Bank of Ireland , to feed his 'out-of-control gambling addiction '. Colm Fitzgerald (28) of Castlequinn, Sixmilebridge, Co Clare, stole the money while employed to be in charge of cash at a cash counter at Bank of Ireland, Shannon Industrial Estate, Shannon, Co Clare, on seven separate dates in 2023. Fitzgerald, who immediately resigned from the bank after the thefts were discovered during an internal audit, told the bank and gardaí that he stole the cash to sustain a gambling addiction. Fitzgerald's barrister, Kenny Kerins, told Ennis Circuit Criminal Court that 'steeped in GAA' Fitzgerald, had paid all of the money back with the support and assistance of his family. READ MORE Mr Kerins said Fitzgerald was caught in a 'serious' grip of addiction to sports gambling and that he 'expressed relief' when the thefts were discovered. Fitzgerald admitted stealing the cash in bundles of €5,000 on seven separate dates in 2023. 'He was living a life of secrets, he has remorse, he has shame. This young man had everything going well in his life, he was engaged in sport, he had a job, and in seven actions he absolutely destroys his career,' Mr Kerins said. The barrister told the sentencing hearing last Friday that, before the discovery of the cash thefts, Fitzgerald's gambling became so serious, the well-known bookmaker chain Paddy Power banned him from betting with them. 'His life was completely out of control, so much so that he sees all this as a positive thing. He sees it as a disengagement from his addiction.' [ Generation gamble: the invisible addiction crisis gripping Ireland's teenagers Opens in new window ] Mr Kerins said that when Bank of Ireland's auditors discovered €35,000 was missing, Fitzgerald prepared a document that would have concealed 'his deceit', but then he 'cancelled it almost immediately'. 'He was about to further his criminal endeavour, but he stopped it ... He knew the jig was up, and he came forward, he met bank officials and made admissions, he resigned and met gardaí by appointment,' said Mr Kerins. 'He and his family are steeped in GAA, which was perhaps how he became involved in (sports) gambling. He has great passion for sport and he is still involved in coaching, which is a great pride to him,' said Mr Kerins. He said Fitzgerald had opened a coffee shop business with his partner in Sixmilebridge, employing four people. He has 'taken careful steps' to limit his access to the business's finances. Detective Garda Paddy Bourke told the court he believed Fitzgerald did all he could to co-operate with the Garda investigation and has tried to tackle his addiction. Mr Kerins said Fitzgerald had no previous convictions, engaged in a residential therapy programme, and continues to attend regular meetings of Gamblers Anonymous (GA). [ Q&A: How the new gambling regulator will affect Irish punters Opens in new window ] 'He's not seeking to blame anyone, he developed a low-level gambling addiction which snowballed and got out of control.' Prosecuting barrister, Sarah-Jane Comerford, accepted Fitzgerald was 'suffering from a gambling addiction at the time'. Judge Francis Comerford said Fitzgerald's actions were a 'significant breach of trust'. 'Gambling is not an excuse for theft, and one should seek help without having to resort to this,' the judge said. Judge Comerford accepted there was a 'somewhat' reduced culpability for people with addiction who 'have the compulsion to do this'. Judge Comerford fully suspended a 12-month jail term for a period of 18 months. He directed Fitzgerald to continue to engage with gambling support services. 'While the amount of money is significant, it would have been more serious if it was someone vulnerable that was preyed upon,' said the judge. 'This was not done for a high lifestyle or to accrue wealth ... it was for a gambling addiction.'
BreakingNews.ie
2 days ago
- Business
- BreakingNews.ie
Davy Fitzgerald's son receives suspended sentence after stealing €35,000 from former employer Bank of Ireland
A son of Clare hurling legend Davy Fitzgerald was given a fully suspended 12-month prison sentence after he admitted stealing €35,000 from his then employer, Bank of Ireland, to feed his 'out-of-control gambling addiction'. Colm Fitzgerald, (28), Castlequinn, Sixmilebridge, Co Clare, stole the money while employed to be in charge of cash at a cash counter, at Bank of Ireland, Shannon Industrial Estate, Shannon, Co Clare, on seven separate dates in 2023. Advertisement Fitzgerald, who immediately resigned from the bank, after the thefts were discovered during an internal audit, told the bank and gardaí that he stole the cash to sustain a gambling addiction. Fitzgerald's barrister, Kenny Kerins, told Ennis Circuit Criminal Court that 'steeped in GAA' Fitzgerald, had paid all of the money back with the support and assistance of his family. Mr Keirns said Fitzgerald was caught in a 'serious' grip of addiction to sports gambling and that he had 'expressed relief' when the thefts were discovered. Fitzgerald admitted stealing the cash in bundles of €5,000 on seven separate dates in 2023. Advertisement Mr Kerins told the court: 'He was living a life of secrets, he has remorse, he has shame. This young man had everything going well in his life, he was engaged in sport, he had a job, and in seven actions he absolutely destroys his career." The barrister told the sentencing hearing last Friday that, prior to the discovery of the cash thefts, Fitzgerald's gambling had gotten so serious, the well known bookmaker chain Paddy Power banned him from betting with them. 'They were so concerned that they wrote to him and banned him from gambling with them... this was a serious addiction for Mr Fitzgerald,' Mr Kerins said. 'His life was completely out of control, so much so that he sees all this as a positive thing, he sees it as a disengagement from his addiction.' Advertisement Mr Kerins said when Bank of Ireland's auditors discovered €35,000 was missing, Fitzgerald prepared a document that would have concealed 'his deceit' but he 'cancelled it almost immediately'. 'He was about to further his criminal endeavour, but he stopped it. He went home and told his grandfather and close family, he knew the jig was up and he came forward, he met with bank officials and made admissions, he resigned and met with gardai by appointment,' said Mr Kerins. 'That is to his credit, he faced up to it, he is a gentleman,' said the barrister. Mr Kerins said Fitzgerald was 'aware' thefts from his employer were 'unacceptable' but he said Fitzgerald had taken responsibility for his offending as well as measures not to return to gambling. Advertisement 'He and his family are steeped in GAA, which was perhaps how he became involved in (sports) gambling. He has great passion for sport and he is still involved in coaching which is a great pride to him.' Mr Kerins said Fitzgerald had 'engaged with therapeutic services and had worked as courier' to pay his family back the money they reimbursed to the bank. The barrister said Fitzgerald has, along with his partner, opened a coffee shop business in Sixmilebridge, employing four people, and that Fitzgerald had 'taken careful steps' to limit his own 'access to the business's finances and cash, so there is oversight that'. Detective Garda Paddy Bourke, Shannon Garda Station, told the court he believed Fitzgerald had done all he could to cooperate with the garda investigation as well as trying to tackle his addiction, 'and I hope to continues to do so', added Garda Bourke. Advertisement CCTV CCTV footage located at the bank's cash counters, which may have led them to Fitzgerald, had expired by the time the bank discovered the thefts and alerted gardai, and so Fitzgerald's pleas were valuable to the prosecution, the court heard. Mr Kerins said Fitzgerald had 'no previous convictions', had engaged in a residential therapy programme run by the Bushypark Addiction Treatment Centre, and he continues to attend regular meetings of Gamblers Anonymous (GA). 'He's not seeking to blame anyone, he developed a low level gambling addiction which snowballed and got out-of-control while he was working as an employee of the bank — the court is aware of the compulsive nature of gambling addiction.' Prosecuting barrister, Sarah-Jane Comerford, said the prosecution 'accepted (Fitzgerald) was suffering from a gambling addiction at the time'. Outlining his judgement, Judge Francis Comerford said Fitzgerald 'took bundles of cash from his employer each worth €5,000' and that he considered a two-year headline sentence to be appropriate. 'It was a significant breach of trust, it was a significant offence, and the aggravating factor is that it was theft by an employee from their employer, it was an abuse of trust to steal from them.' The judge told Fitzgerald: 'Gambling is not an excuse for theft, and one should seek help without having to resort to this.' However, taking into account Mr Keirns mitigation plea, the judge said he accepted that persons in addiction who 'have the compulsion to do this (steal), does reduce culpability somewhat'. 'Need for money' The judge said there was an air of desperation about Fitzgerald's actions: 'It was not a sophisticated fraud, it was a response to a need for money for gambling.' Reducing Fitzgerald's sentence to 12 months, the judge continued: 'It wasn't a commercial calculated crime, so that tends to put it at a lower level, and it was discovered very quickly, following an internal audit.' Judge Comerford fully suspended the 12-month jail term for a period of 18 months, and directed that Fitzgerald continue to engage with gambling support services. 'While the amount of money is significant, it would have been more serious if it was someone vulnerable that was preyed upon,' said the judge. 'This was not done for a high lifestyle or to accrue wealth, but, it was for a gambling addiction.' Afterwards, Colm Fitzgerald hugged family members outside the court.
The Irish Sun
3 days ago
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Davy Fitzgerald slapped with eight-week ban by GAA as Antrim hurling woes deepen
ANTRIM'S hurling woes have gone from bad to worse after manager Davy Fitzgerald was hit with an eight-week suspension by the GAA. News of the ban comes after the 2 Antrim manager Davy Fitzgerald has been handed an eight-week ban by the GAA 2 The ban comes after Antrim suffered another defeat to relegate them to the Joe McDonagh for 2026 The county will play Joe McDonagh Cup hurling next year thanks to yesterday's in Tullamore. The defeat was their fifth loss in as many games. But the fallout off the pitch has now gotten worse as Fitzgerald was punished for comments made following Antrim's round four defeat to Galway earlier this month. Fitzgerald took aim at the officiating after Declan McCloskey was shown red during the clash at Pearse Stadium. read more on gaa He told "Everybody knows that himself and one or two more of them, they actually despise me and that's fine. I can get over that. The Clare native was cited under the GAA rule of And the GAA's Central Hearings Committee ruled against him on Thursday night and issued the ban. Most read in GAA Hurling Fitzgerald can now appeal the suspension and could bring it as far as the Disputes Resolution Authority if necessary. Meanwhile, Tipperary GAA star 'had to do live apology on RTE' the day after cursing during All-Ireland interview - The Clare man expressed dismay at McNaughton's comments, and says he will take time to consider his future as manager after dropping out of the top tier. He said: 'To the knockers, you're not doing Antrim any favours. That's all I'll say to you. You think you're big men, you're not big men. 'I have good time for Sambo, I'm just so disappointed in him. 'He was in management, probably didn't do great. I have so much respect for him and I'm just so disappointed in what he did but he's entitled to his opinion. 'He's entitled to his opinion. "It's the same with anything you do. I'm not going to say anything bad about him because I'm just disappointed, just disappointed in him. 'It doesn't need that, we're trying our absolute best so we don't need the likes of that but he's entitled to his opinion.' When asked if he was staying on for a second year, Fitzgerald said: 'I just want time. I'm just really proud of them today, they did so well. "I couldn't be prouder of them. I'm just absolutely shattered now. 'I'm just going to take a bit of time and just relax. I keep saying to you after Waterford last year, I was done. I knew I was done after Waterford last year. 'But a friend who has been very good to me persuaded me to come up to Antrim and I never regretted it. I just need a bit of time. I'm not saying I won't. I'm not saying that. 'I think you can tell by me I'm just absolutely beat, just tired. So just — we'll see what happens.'
BBC News
3 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Fitzgerald handed eight-week ban for 'misconduct'
Antrim hurling boss Davy Fitzgerald has been handed an eight-week ban for comments he made after his side's defeat by Galway in the Leinster Senior Hurling Championship earlier this month. Fitzgerald criticised officials after Declan McCloskey was sent off for an off-the-ball incident in the game in Salthill, which Antrim lost by 28 former Clare and Wexford boss was subsequently charged by the GAA with "misconduct considered to have discredited the association".At a hearing on Friday, which was requested by Fitzgerald, the Central Hearings Committee (CHC) upheld the infraction and handed him an eight-week has the option of appealing the suffered relegation from Leinster to the Joe McDonagh Cup for the 2026 season with last week's defeat by Offaly. Following the game, Fitzgerald said he needed time before making a decision on his Antrim future. He took over as boss last year following Darren Gleeson's departure.
