Sunday 1 November 2026Compiled from published reports. Every claim links to its source.

Ireland Crime

Every case followed from the first report to the sentence, or to where the reporting stopped.

Case No. 21847Theft; forgery; deception; money laundering · Co. Dublin

Book-keeper Karina Cully jailed for stealing €629,000 from employer

Karina Cully, 36, of Ashbourne, Co Meath, was sentenced to two years' imprisonment at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court after pleading guilty to theft, forgery and deception in relation to a mortgage application, and money laundering, having diverted €629,000 from her employer's small office supplies company to her own bank account over more than seven years.

  1. Reportednot reported
  2. Arrestednot reported
  3. Chargednot reported
  4. In courtnot reported
  5. Verdictnot reported
  6. Sentenced20 Mar
    2 reports
reportedhappened, not reportedlatest stagenot yet

Key facts

consolidated from all reports
36 statements extracted from the articles
  • whatCully diverted money from her employer's small office supplies company to her own bank account for over seven years (rte.ie)
  • whatThe total loss to the company was €629,000 (rte.ie, irishtimes.com)
  • whatCully is a married mother of two small children (rte.ie)
  • whatShe said the thefts had been like a habit or addiction she was unable to stop (rte.ie)
  • whatShe told gardaí she did not know why she had done it and had not needed the money (rte.ie)
  • whatShe spent the money on lifestyle expenses such as holidays or eating out (rte.ie)
  • whatA number of documents related to a mortgage application were forged by Cully (rte.ie)
  • whatThe forged documents included an inflated statement of salary and a reference (rte.ie)
  • whatCully stole over €600,000 from her employer (irishtimes.com)
  • whatShe diverted money to her own bank account for more than seven years (irishtimes.com)
  • whatShe spent the money on lifestyle expenses (irishtimes.com)
  • whatShe spent the money on holidays and eating out (irishtimes.com)
  • whatShe forged documents related to a mortgage application including an inflated statement of salary and a reference (irishtimes.com)
  • whereCully is from Churchfield Glen, Ashbourne, Co Meath (irishtimes.com)
  • whenThe offences occurred on dates between 2014 and 2021 (rte.ie, irishtimes.com)
  • investigationHer employer contacted Cully after suspicions were aroused about certain payments (rte.ie)
  • investigationShe made full admissions to making unauthorised transfers to her personal bank account (rte.ie)
  • investigationFollowing an investigation she made full admissions to making unauthorised transfers to her personal bank account (irishtimes.com)
  • chargeShe pleaded guilty to theft, forgery, deception in relation to a mortgage application and money laundering (rte.ie)
  • chargeShe pleaded guilty to theft, forgery and deception in relation to a mortgage application, and money laundering (irishtimes.com)
  • courtJudge Martin Nolan passed the sentence (rte.ie)
  • courtA victim impact statement was handed into court on behalf of the company but not read aloud (rte.ie)
  • courtThe case was heard at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court (irishtimes.com)
  • courtJohn Moher BL was prosecuting (irishtimes.com)
  • courtGerardine Small SC was defending (irishtimes.com)
  • sentenceCully was sentenced to two years' imprisonment (rte.ie)
  • sentenceJudge Martin Nolan sentenced her to two years' imprisonment (irishtimes.com)
  • otherShe has no previous convictions (rte.ie, irishtimes.com)
  • otherThe judge described it as a simple but very efficient theft that was always going to be detected (rte.ie)
  • otherThe judge noted the mitigation was very good with early guilty pleas, full admissions and cooperation (rte.ie)
  • otherThe judge took into account she was unlikely to reoffend and had a strong work record (rte.ie, irishtimes.com)
  • otherThe judge noted it was persistent theft from someone she knew very well and met every day (rte.ie)
  • otherThe judge described it as a simple but efficient theft that was always going to be detected (irishtimes.com)
  • otherThe judge noted there was little evidence of where she spent the money (irishtimes.com)
  • otherMitigation included early guilty pleas, full admissions and cooperation (irishtimes.com)
  • otherThe theft was from someone she knew very well and met every day (irishtimes.com)

The reporting

newest first
  1. 20 Mar2023
    Sentencedirishtimes.com, first report
    Book-keeper jailed for stealing more than €600,000 from employer

    Sentencing report: Cully received a two-year prison sentence for diverting €629,000 from her employer over more than seven years, plus forging mortgage application documents.

    convicted, Karina Cully, 36, female, named, irish (judged from name)Karina Cully
  2. 20 Mar2023
    Sentencedrte.ie, follow-up
    Bookkeeper who stole €600k from employer is jailed

    Provides full sentencing detail including Judge Martin Nolan's remarks, the defence's submissions by Gerardine Small SC, Cully's personal circumstances, and details of the forged mortgage documents.

    convicted, Karina Cully, 36, female, named, irish (judged from name)Karina Cully