# Man jailed for giving bogus cheque to charity

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2006/02/27/man-jailed-giving-bogus-cheque-charity/
- Published: 2006-02-27T00:00:00+00:00
- Author: Howard Lake

A Scottish conman has been jailed for two months after he donated a bogus cheque
for £100,000 sterling to a Limerick charity. John Cronin (34), originally from East
Lothian, was jailed after pleading guilty to having a cheque, which he knew to be
false.

 

 

## Advertisement

 [⌊Posthub advert. You create the campaign. We'll handle the postal journey. Get started at post-hub.co.uk.⌉](https://fundraising.co.uk/ads/posthub-20261007-300x250/)

Cronin, who has 21 previous convictions for serious sexual offences, robbery and
fraud, gave the fake cheque to Limerick Animal Welfare at a table quiz last Friday
week. He had even been thanked by the Mayor of Limerick Cllr Diarmuid Scully for
the donation.

 

 

He had been posing as a wealthy barrister with terminal cancer. The charity alerted
gardai on Monday. He was arrested at Colbert train station in Limerick city.

 

 

When asked by Judge Tom O’Donnell at Limerick District Court what he was trying 
to acheive by handing over the cheque, Cronin said: “I wanted people to think well
of me, and for a brief time they did.”

 

 

He apologised for the distress he had caused and added that it was never his intention
to gain financially from the fraudulent transaction.

 

 

Judge O’Donnell acknowledged the guilty plea but imposed a two-month prison sentence
because of the “number of previous convictions” he had amassed.

 

 

 

 * **[Hikers raise funds for homeless](https://fundraising.co.uk/2006/02/28/hikers-raise-funds-homeless/)**(
   28 February 2006)
 * **[Fundraising manager moves on](https://fundraising.co.uk/2006/03/02/fundraising-manager-moves/)**(
   2 March 2006)
 * **[Fund launched in memory of murdered boy](https://fundraising.co.uk/2006/03/03/fund-launched-memory-murdered-boy/)**(
   3 March 2006)