Heartless Betrayal: Woman Sentenced for Stealing Funeral Funds

A Co Antrim woman who pocketed money that families had paid for the funerals of their loves ones was sentenced today for the “mean and nasty” offence.

The Sentence

Margaret McNamara admitted a charge of stealing over £25,000 from her employers, Funeral Partners Ltd, and was placed under two years Probation. Sentence was imposed upon the 56-year old, from Salia Avenue in Carrickfergus, by Judge Gordon Kerr KC.

The Investigation

Belfast Crown Court heard that over the course of a period spanning from January 1, 2020, to August 31, 2022, McNamara stole money to the value £25,252. At the time of her offending, McNamara was employed as an administrator with Funeral Partners Ltd and part of her duties was receiving client payment for funeral services. After a partner in the company unearthed irregularities, a regional manager was asked to conduct a financial investigation. The regional manager was supplied with documentation and an audit of the accounts was carried out. This probe identified a total of 11 transactions where customer payments were received by the business but not banked into the business account. McNamara was identified as the staff member responsible for failing to make payments into the business account and over a 31-month period, she stole separate amounts of money ranging from £900 to £5,000. A disciplinary hearing took place and she was subsequently dismissed.

Full Admissions

The matter was then reported to the PSNI, and as part of their investigation, the police obtained McNamara’s bank statements which indicated lodgements that closely correlated with the transactions identified. Also shown on McNamara’s bank statements were a large number of betting payments debited from her account. When she was interviewed by police in November 2023, McNamara made full admissions and apologised for her actions. Crown barrister Gareth Purvis said there has been “substantial repayment” which included an initial sum of £20,000 re-paid after McNamara received an inheritance as well as £100 being paid per month via a standing order.

Sentencing

Noting the repayments already made by McNamara, Judge Kerr said the defendant had no previous convictions. Also considered by the Judge were defence submissions which set out her poor mental health at the time of offending and her current unemployed status. Judge Kerr spoke of marital tensions and financial woes McNamara was under at the relevant time which he said “may or may not have been a contributing factor to the pressure she felt under that led her to take these payments”. Turning to the offending itself, Judge Kerr said: “These payments were from families who were burying a relative and to take that money and to lodge it into her own account is a very mean and nasty offence.” The Judge revealed the Probation Board “argued strongly” that this was a case which required McNamara obtaining help and support in dealing with various matters in her life. Saying he was “largely influenced” by both the recommendations of Probation and the “substantial” amount McNamara has re-paid, Judge Kerr made her the subject of a two-year Probation Order. Addressing McNamara as she stood in the dock, Judge Kerr told her: “Do you understand that you must do whatever you are told to do by the Probation Service? If you fail to do that, you will be brought back before me and I can assure you that you won’t get a second chance. Do you understand that?” After confirming that she did, McNamara was told she was free to go.