Thursday 5 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. 27934Theft and forgery

Teacher removed from register over theft and forgery at national schools

A male teacher stole tens of thousands of euro from a national school between 2016 and 2019 by withdrawing money with the school bank card and issuing purported petty cash receipts. He fraudulently secured a post as principal at a second national school in November 2020 after arranging for an unidentified person to impersonate a referee. He pleaded guilty to several counts of forgery and theft and was given a suspended sentence in the Circuit Court in 2022. A Teaching Council fitness-to-teach committee has now removed him from the teaching register, ruling he is not eligible to apply for readmission for three years.

  1. Reported
  2. Arrested
  3. Charged
  4. In court
  5. Verdict
  6. Sentenced
reportedhappened, not reportedlatest stagenot yet

Key facts

consolidated from all reports
What happened
  • A male teacher stole tens of thousands of euro from a national school between 2016 and 2019.
  • The teacher withdrew money using the school bank card and purported to issue receipts for petty cash purposes.
  • The stolen money was used for taxis, trips, hotels in Ireland and abroad, jewellery, and a personal mobile phone.
  • The teacher fraudulently obtained a post as principal at a second national school in November 2020.
  • The teacher provided a fraudulent phone number for a referee and an unidentified person impersonated the referee on a phone call with the chairperson of the second school.
When
The teacher was on sick leave from December 2018 to February 2019 and resigned in the autumn of 2020.
Investigation
The board of the first school informed gardaí of the allegations of forgery and theft after the teacher resigned.
Charges
The teacher pleaded guilty to several separate counts of forgery and theft.
Sentence
The teacher received a suspended sentence in the Circuit Court in 2022.
In court
A Teaching Council fitness-to-teach committee removed the teacher from the teaching register.
Other details
  • The teacher is not eligible to apply for readmission to the register for three years from the date of removal.
  • The teacher claimed he had addiction issues, childhood trauma, PTSD and mental health problems.
18 statements extracted from the articles
  • whatThe teacher stole tens of thousands of euro from one national school. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatThe teacher fraudulently obtained a job as principal at the second school. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatThe teacher withdrew money using the school bank card and purported to issue receipts for petty cash purposes. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatThe stolen money was used for taxis, trips, hotels in Ireland and abroad, jewellery, and a personal mobile phone. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatThe teacher provided a fraudulent phone number for the chairperson of the first school as a referee. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatAn unidentified person impersonated the referee on a phone call with the chairperson of the second school. (irishtimes.com)
  • whenThe theft from the first school occurred between 2016 and 2019. (irishtimes.com)
  • whenThe teacher was on sick leave from December 2018 until February 2019. (irishtimes.com)
  • whenThe teacher resigned in the autumn of 2020. (irishtimes.com)
  • whenThe teacher was appointed principal of the second school in November 2020. (irishtimes.com)
  • whenIn April 2022, the second school was informed by a parent that the teacher had been charged with stealing and forgery offences. (irishtimes.com)
  • investigationThe board informed gardaí of the allegations of forgery and theft after the teacher resigned. (irishtimes.com)
  • chargeThe teacher pleaded guilty to several separate counts of forgery and theft. (irishtimes.com)
  • courtThe teacher was removed from the teaching register. (irishtimes.com)
  • sentenceThe teacher received a suspended sentence in the Circuit Court in 2022. (irishtimes.com)
  • otherThe teacher is not eligible to apply for readmission to the register for three years. (irishtimes.com)
  • otherThe teacher was first registered as a teacher in 2013. (irishtimes.com)
  • otherThe teacher claimed he had addiction issues, childhood trauma, PTSD and mental health problems. (irishtimes.com)

The reporting

newest first
  1. 3 Nov2026
    Otheririshtimes.com, first report
    Former school principal removed from teaching register after theft of tens of thousands of euro

    Reports the fitness-to-teach committee's decision to remove the teacher from the register for three years and provides details of the theft methods, the fraudulent appointment at the second school, and the teacher's claimed mitigating circumstances.

    convicted, male

Changed after publication

facts outlets added, removed or corrected

irishtimes.com, 3 Nov 2026, 19:15: Former school principal removed from teaching register after theft of tens of thousands of euro

  • CorrectedThe register from which the former principal was removed is now specified as the teaching register (was removed from the register, now removed from the teaching register)

irishtimes.com, 3 Nov 2026, 09:09: Former school principal removed from teaching register after theft of tens of thousands of euro

  • AddedThe committee is specified as a Teaching Council fitness-to-teach committee
  • CorrectedThe man is not eligible to apply to be readmitted (not admitted) to the register (was eligible to apply to be admitted to the register, now eligible to apply to be readmitted to the register)