Suspended sentence for Derry woman who stole over £10,000 from Alcoholics Anonymous
Niamh Bonner (54) of Central Drive in Derry admitted a charge of the theft of £10,500 from Alcoholics Anonymous on dates between August 1 2018 and December 1, 2019
Derry Crown Court heard today how when her daughter came under threat from a paramilitary organisation over a debt a woman stole from a charity to try and assist her.
Niamh Bonner (54) of Central Drive in Derry admitted a charge of the theft of £10,500 from Alcoholics Anonymous on dates between August 1 2018 and December 1, 2019.
The court heard that Bonner was the Treasurer for Alcoholics Anonymous in Derry and was tasked with recording and lodging money donated to the charity.
She began stealing the money in 2018 but this was not detected until the end of 2019.
The charity set up a sub committee to look into the matter and Bonner was asked to account for the money.
She accepted responsibility and told the charity that her daughter had accrued a debt to a paramilitary organisation of some £20,000 and had been visited at her home by men who were ‘aggressive and abusive’ who threatened to shoot her if she did not repay the money.
Bonner stole the money to assist her daughter and agreed to pay it back in instalments but faltered in her payments after repaying £1,890 and the police became involved.
Judge Neil Rafferty KC said that while Bonner had committed a breach of trust there was no suggestion of any personal gain.
He said that in an attempt to help her daughter, who was in ‘an extreme position’ Bonner had found herself ‘deeper and deeper in a hole’.
He said the case was aggravated by the length of time it had taken place over but stressed the defendant ‘derived no benefit ‘ from the theft.
He imposed a sentence of 10 months imprisonment suspended for three years.
Judge Rafferty said he was not imposing a compensation order as that would be setting Bonner up to fail.