Posted online: Dec 14th, 2011

By Lauren Harte
editor

A 21-year-old Romanian man appeared in court last week to face charges of stealing a total of €1,470 from two branches of AIB in South Donegal this summer when he went to get currency changed.
Judge Kevin Kilrane heard that on June 15, Rindus Horobas entered AIB in Donegal Town with £1,300 sterling in £50 notes and asked for the money to be converted into euro and in denominations of €50. The money was converted into just over €1,440 and presented it to the defendant who then asked for it to be changed into €20 notes. When this had been counted out, he asked for it to be changed back to the sterling £50 notes he had originally brought in. After the bank clerk had received the euro back, only €850 was returned, a shortfall of €620 but the defendant had already left the premises.
Mr Horobas then visited AIB in Bundoran on June 29 with £1,400 sterling in £20 notes and again asked for the money to be changed into euro which totalled over €1,500. He asked for the money firstly in £50 and then in £20 notes and gave the euro back but a shortfall of €850 was discovered after he had left the bank.
The accused was later identified on CCTV and apprehended at Dublin Airport earlier this week after returning to the country from a visit to family in Romania. The court heard that he has previous convictions for deception and theft for which he had received three sentences, two of which were suspended. Defence solicitor, Moya O’Donnell told Donegal District Court that her client, a father of two young children who is now living at Firhouse, Tallaght in Dublin, pleaded guilty to the charges and that his father had brought €2,000 to court which more than covered the shortfall.
Mr Horobas was initially remanded in custody to appear at Sligo District Court this Thursday and to pay a fine of €5,000 or face 18 months in jail. However the court later heard from Ms O’Donnell that the defendant’s father was having the money for the fine transferred to court by courier. Judge Kilrane agreed to hear the remainder of the case at a special court sitting in Carrick-on-Shannon that afternoon when the €5,000 fine was paid. Mr Horobas was also ordered to pay the €2,000 compensation originally offered to Mohill Tidy Towns.