A Department of Family and Social Welfare cheque, worth €2,043, was posted to the wrong address where it stayed for several weeks until a man, faced with mounting financial problems, took the chance of lodging the cheque into his own bank account and withdrawing the money, the Galway District Court heard this week.
Alexsandrs Kalpaks (40 ) with an address at 96 Altan, Western Distributor Road, appeared before Judge Mary Fahy on Monday and pleaded guilty to fraudulently signing on the rear of the cheque the name of the true recipient with the intention that it be used to induce another person to accept it as genuine on November 23, 2009.
Inspector Ernie White told the court that the defendent entered Permanant TSB at Galway Shopping Centre, Headford Road, and lodged a cheque to the value of €2,043 into his account. The cheque, from the Department of Family and Social Affairs, had been erroneously posted to the defendant’s address. Kalpaks then forged the recipient’s name, lodged the cheque into his own bank account, and withdrew the money two days later.
Defence solictor Sean Acton said that his client, a Latvian national, had been in serious need of money. He explained that Kalpaks had left the cheque in the house for a number of weeks thinking that it had been for a previous tenant. However, rent of €725 was due and he decided to take the chance and lodged the cheque.
“He couldn’t have got away with it because he had lodged it into his own account,” said Mr Acton, who added that Kalpaks, who has been in the country for six and half years with no previous convictions, is now working three days a week and has paid €900 compensation. He then requested more time to allow Kalpaks to pay the remaining €1,143.
Inspector White informed the court that there would be no objection to more time being granted to allow for the payment of the remaining balance.
“So it was opportunistic. Would he be interested in community service? I don’t see any benefit in sending him to prison,” said Judge Fahy, to which she was told the defendant would be agreeable to carrying out a community service order.
Kalpaks was then remanded on continuing bail to appear in court again on July 18 for the payment of €1,143 in compensation, and for the preparation of a community service repor, and if found suitable to complete 120 hours or four months jail in lieu.
