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Woman Avoids Prison Sentence After Helping Criminal Organisation Move Money.

File image: CCJ/RollingNews

She used job as a community supervisor with a homecare provider.

A woman who used her job as a community supervisor with a homecare provider to help a criminal organisation to move money around has avoided a prison sentence.

Catherine Dawson, from Betaghstown Wood, Bettystown, Co Meath, was caught with over €600,000 in cash when she was stopped in Co Louth last May.

Our Courts Correspondent Frank Greaney reports:

"Catherine Dawson wasn’t on the Garda radar until she was spotted by a surveillance unit driving away from a money drop at a car park in Drogheda just over a year ago.

When she was stopped, gardaí found €289k and £65k in cash inside a blue sports bag, while another €255k was found in a black bag.

She was driving a company car, which was provided to her so she could continue her duties as a healthcare worker during the pandemic.

Given travel restrictions in place at the time, Mr Justice Tony Hunt described her as “useful cover” for the movement of cash.

He noted the significant amount of money involved, but accepted that the 44yo mother wasn’t involved in the wider criminal organisation and didn’t benefit financially from what she did.

The court heard it was a misguided favour to someone else.

Her role was marked with a prison sentence of three years and nine months, but it was suspended in full for five years."

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