Limerick, Monday – In a court session at the Quarter Sessions in Limerick today, William J. Lyons, a law clerk from Limerick, and his wife, Mrs. Lynne, faced serious charges of obtaining £538 through fraudulent cheques from local traders. The couple pleaded guilty to the indictment before Judge Law Smith, K.C.

The charges stemmed from the presentation of spurious cheques in late March. On the 28th of March, a £2 cheque on the Provincial Bank of Ireland in Ennis was presented and cashed at John D. O’Brien’s establishment. Subsequently, another cheque to the Bank of Ireland was presented and cashed at Mrs. A. Collins’ place in Limerick. On the 30th of March, a third cheque for £2 3s 8d was presented and cashed at the establishment of Louise Griffiths. Investigations later revealed the fraudulent nature of these cheques.

The defendants, William J. Lyons and Mrs. Lynne, who was previously the widow of Mr Standish O’Grady of Cork, admitted their guilt in court. The prosecution outlined how the cheques were used to obtain funds from various traders in Limerick, and the court considered the transactions as premeditated.

Mr Corbett, B.L., representing the defendants, acknowledged the unfortunate nature of the occurrence. He explained that Mrs. Lynne, the female defendant, was the widow of Mr O’Grady, who had faced financial ruin due to being a surety for another individual. After her marriage to Mr Lyons, a solicitor’s clerk, their financial situation remained challenging. Mr Corbett expressed remorse on behalf of his clients, emphasizing that the offence was not premeditated but rather a consequence of Mr Lyons’ intemperate habits.

Despite the defence’s plea for leniency, Judge Law Smith, K.C., held that there was an element of premeditation in the transactions. The fact that cheques were drawn on different banks on separate dates contributed to this assessment. Judge Smith sentenced Mrs. Lynne to two months’ imprisonment from the date of her committal, and William J. Lyons to three months’ imprisonment with hard labour from the date of his committal.

The Court took into consideration the presence of a child in the family and expressed sympathy for Mrs. Lynne’s situation. The sentence aimed to reflect the seriousness of the offence while considering the circumstances of the defendants.

Freeman’s Journal – Tuesday 04 June 1912