DfI supervisor stole road chipping and fuel worth £2,000

A DEPARTMENT for Infrastructure (DfI) supervisor who admitted stealing loose road chippings and diesel worth a total of £2,000 from his employer has received a suspended jail sentence.

At Dungannon Magistrates Court on Friday, Ciaran Conway (28), from Killins Wood View, Mountfield, pleaded guilty to two counts of theft.

Conway admitted to stealing loose chippings and diesel to the value of £1,000 belonging to DfI Roads NI on August 23, 2023 and then again on October 16, 2023.

The court heard that, on October 16, the DfI received an anonymous tip-off that the Department’s trucks were offloading materials outside their operational boundaries.

Upon investigation, the drivers of the vehicles said that, on the dates in question, they were following the instructions of Conway, who was their supervisor.

The drivers added that they thought these were normal operations, the court heard.

On August 23, the movements of Conway, who was the only supervisor on the Moygashel site in Dungannon, could not be accounted for.

The defendant was interviewed and made full admissions, with the total cost stolen amounting to £2,000.

Defence counsel Ciaran Roddy told the court that Conway knew he did not have permission to take the items and subjected the DfI to loss between the items, fuel and human resources.

However, Mr Roddy added that the defendant had no previous record and was facing a heavy price, likely to lose his employment with the department.

Despite the admissions, Mr Roddy told the court that Conway hoped to return to his position within DfI.

“I would be amazed if you kept your job,” observed District Judge Ted Magill.

The judge told the court that theft by an employee showed a ‘breach of trust’.

Mr Magill added that the offence was worsened by the use of other employees to unknowingly carry out the theft on his behalf.

The defendant received a six month jail sentence, which was suspended for three years, and was ordered to pay back the £2,000 stolen from the Department in compensation.