by Andrew Carey
A FORMER nursing home assistant, who was sentenced to eight months in prison for deceiving a resident of her life savings, has stopped making repayments to the pensioner he “effectively wiped out”.
A warrant for the arrest of Michael Harrington (29) of Cronan Lawn, Shannon was issued at Limerick Circuit Court when Judge Carroll Moran was told that the repayments stopped when Harrington moved to Spain.
Described as a “Walter Mitty-type character”, Harrington was convicted in Limerick District Court on a number of offences relating to the theft and deception of almost €70,000 from the then 70-year-old Teresa Gribbins from Moyross.
Detective Garda Stephen Ryan attached to Shannon Garda Station revealed that Harrington befriended Mrs Gribbins, who moved into the Sancta Maria Nursing home in Cratloe after her husband died, and kept in contact with her after he left his job at the nursing home.
Mrs Gribbins had received compensation from the Residential Institutions Redress Board and Michael Harrington was aware of her financial status. He told her that he planned to set up a company called Shannon Medical but had been refused a bank loan.
Mrs Gribbins offered to give him the money and a repayment schedule was agreed.
However the money went to fund his lifestyle after he took on what the court heard were several different “Walter Mitty type guises”
When he failed to meet the repayments to Mrs Gribbins, he was investigated by Gardaí and charged with fraud.
The then district court Judge Tom O’Donnell sentenced him to eight months in prison after he heard that Ms Gribbins was left almost destitute. He said it was an “appalling case of deception”.
Harrington subsequently appealed the severity to the Circuit Court and the sentence was suspended on condition that he paid €2,000 and entered into a payment plan of €50 per week to compensate Mrs Gribbins.
At Limerick Circuit Court this week, Judge Carroll Moran was told that Harrington was living in Spain and could not afford the price of the flights home.
State Solicitor Michael Murray said that the payments ceased and only €13,000 of the entire sum had been repaid.
Jack Nicholas, counsel for Harrington said that his client had moved to Spain, on the court’s approval, but his employment was “poorly paid and he earned just €221 per month.
He sought a lengthy adjournment to allow Harrington return to address the matter.
However, Judge Moran refused the application and issued a bench warrant for his immediate arrest.
