Former rugby international Brendan Mullin has been jailed for three years after convictions for theft

Former Ireland rugby international Brendan Mullinwho stole hundreds of thousands of euros from the Bank of Ireland Private Bank when he was a director has been jailed for three years.

Mullin, old 61, was found guilty earlier this month of stealing just over €567,000 from the bank between 2011 and 2013.

After a test on Dublin Circuit Criminal Courta jury returned guilty verdicts on 12 of the 14 charges against.

Allegations were heard during the three-week trial That Mullin, of Stillorgan Road, Donnybrook, Dublin 4, acted dishonestly when he arranged for sums of money to be paid by the private bank to McCann Fitzgerald’s lawyers, Beechwood accountants and Grant Thornton for work done for him personally or for his company Quantum Investment Strategies.

The Public Prosecution Service has also claimed this Mullin stole €500,000 from Bank of Ireland during a communications breakdown within several branches of the banking group, with the money eventually transferred to a company called Spice Holdings, registered in the British Virgin Islands.

The court heard that Spice Holdings was a customer there Mullin brought to the bank.

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Imposing a sentence next Mondaysaid Judge Martin Nolan Mullin was in “a position of trust and a position of power” when he stole from the bank. “He was able to influence other parties to do his will,” the judge said.

The judge noted that no motive was provided Mullinbut he could only conclude that Mullin was “somewhat desperate for money and started this effort to get money.”

He took into account a number of mitigating factors, including what the defense called the ‘exceptional factor’ that the Bank of Ireland Private Bank has been repaid in full and is not incurring any losses. The judge also noted that there had been significant delays in hearing the case.

The court heard Mullin now accepts the jury’s verdicts and Judge Nolan accepts that he is “remorseful and remorseful for what he did”.

But he noted that a prison sentence was inevitable and imposed a three-year sentence.

Mullin laid his head when the verdict was pronounced.

Mullin was acquitted of the two charges relating to Beechwood Partners, including the alleged theft of €6,150 from the private bank for work carried out privately for Mr Mullin and a false accounting charge related thereto.

The jury was also instructed by the judge to return a verdict of not guilty on a new charge of cheating Mullin prompted two bank employees to sign a payment authorization letter.

At the sentencing hearing, Brendan Grehan SC, defending, told the court that his client suffered a “personal crisis” when the events of 2013 led to his resignation from the bank, and suffered another crisis when he was indicted in 2021.

Mr Grehan said it was a “striking factor” of the case that all the money was repaid before the Garda investigation had begun and well before the case went to trial.

“It’s a unique series of events that took place in the context of someone who is now 61 years old, who has lived a good life and made a positive contribution to this country,” Grehan said.

The court heard Mullinwho represented Ireland in rugby in the 1980s and 1990s, has no previous convictions and no ongoing investigations against him.

Mr Grehan said the consequences of his offending were profound Mullinwho fell from grace. He said Mullin had to deal with this issue twice: once when it first came to light and once when the investigation became public.

“Sir Mullin accepts the jury’s verdict at this stage,” Mr Grehan said, adding that this was a matter of “some significance” to the court.

He said his client was willing to do community service if that was possible.

Detective Sergeant Sean O’Riordan previously testified to this Mullin‘is insulting. The court heard that in relation to the McCann Fitzgerald payments: Mullin asked the lawyers to forward the invoices from his own personal address to the private bank.

The court heard he told his superiors as much the invoices had been accidentally placed in a bundle of customer invoices and paid incorrectly.

In relation to the transfer of Spice Holdings, the court heard that Bank of Ireland Private Bank and New Ireland – both arms of the bank’s Wealth Management Division – agreed to make a €1 million refund to customers in relation to a payout of divide a life insurance policy equally. claims, during the court hearing there was a communication breakdown in relation to this.

The trial found that New Ireland had transferred €500,000 to a Northern Trust account in the name of Spice Holdings in December 2011. Six months later, €500,000 was transferred to another account in the name of Spice Holdings, held by Royal Bank of Canada. in Jersey upon receipt of a faxed instruction.

In April 2013, Mullin McCann Fitzgerald paid the €61,000 in legal fees paid for by the private bank and in July 2015 he arranged for his company, Quantum, to pay €500,000 to the Bank of Ireland Private Bank.

Det Sgt O’Riordan agreed with Dominic McGinn SC, defending that the €500,000 transfer of Spice Holdings was never traced and Royal Bank of Canada did not respond to queries.