U2 star's £250,000 'lodged in PA's bank'

U2 star Adam Clayton's former personal assistant had a €310,000 (£250,000) cheque in his name lodged into her bank account, a court has heard.
Carol Hawkins is on trial over the alleged embezzlement of €2.8m (£2.25m) of the bassist's funds over a four-year period while she worked for him.
A jury at the Circuit Criminal Court in Dublin was shown a detailed paper trail of bank lodgements, statements and transfers.
One document was a copy of a €310,000 cheque from Mr Clayton's bank and a lodgement slip showing the funds had been transferred into a joint account held by the defendant and her then husband John Hawkins.
The sum is the largest single transaction being examined in the criminal trial.
Prosecution barrister, senior counsel Colm O'Briain, claimed the cheque was paid into the account in April 2007, when Ms Hawkins had been a signatory on two of Clayton's personal bank accounts.
Ms Hawkins (48) of Lower Rathmines Road, Dublin, listened attentively in the dock while the evidence was being considered.
Clayton, who was absent from court, is expected to be called as a witness later in the week.
Ms Hawkins worked for Clayton from 1992 until 2009.
The trial, which is listed for six weeks, continues today.

Trial of former U2 assistant to go ahead

A former personal assistant of U2 bassist Adam Clayton will stand trial tomorrow after pleading not guilty to the alleged embezzlement of €2.8 million of his funds.
Carol Hawkins (48) was charged with 184 counts of theft from a number of the musician’s bank accounts between 2004 to 2008.
The Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard today that on one occasion in 2007 she made a single withdrawal of €310,000.
The remainder of the alleged transactions ranged from €1,000 to €36,000 over the four-year period.
Ms Hawkins, of Lower Rathmines Road, Dublin, pleaded not guilty to every count.
Mr Clayton, who sat in court during the proceedings, will be called as a witness when the trial gets under way.
The 52-year-old bass player, dressed in a navy suit with an unbuttoned white shirt, looked relaxed as the registrar listed every charge against his former assistant.
He was joined by U2 manager Paul McGuinness in the public gallery of the court room.
Judge Patrick McCartan spent half an hour appointing and swearing in the jury today — of seven men and five women — and indicated the trial could take up to six weeks.
It then took several hours for the court to arraign Ms Hawkins. The judge had insisted each of the 184 courts against her be read out in keeping with legal formalities.
Ms Hawkins, who is understood to have another address at Crannagh Road, Rathfarnham, responded quietly during her arraignment when she was asked to voice her plea after each count.
She denied all charges, which included stealing Bank of Ireland cheques from Clayton and drawing funds in favour of Bank of Ireland credit card services.
The prosecution will make its opening remarks tomorrow morning.

U2 bassist Adam Clayton's

U2 bassist Adam Clayton's former personal assistant goes on trial

U2 bassist Adam Clayton's former personal assistant has gone on trial, accused of stealing almost £2.4 million from the star.

Carol Hawkins pleaded not guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to 181 counts of theft on June 6, reports BBC News.

She is accused of stealing money from two of the bassist's bank accounts over a four-year period from 2004 to 2008.

Clayton also attended court, and was joined by U2 manager Paul McGuinness in the public gallery. He is due to give evidence in the trial when it opens today (June 7).
The court heard that on one occasion in 2007, Hawkins made a single withdrawal of 310,000 euros (£250,000). The remainder of the alleged transactions ranged from 1,000 euros (£811) to 36,000 euros (£29,196) over a four-year period.

Judge Patrick McCartan swore in a jury of seven men and five women for the trial, which is expected to last six weeks.
Meanwhile, U2 singer Bono recently said that the band's recent recording sessions have been their best "since 1979".

He also recently rubbished reports which stated he was to become the richest musician in the world, overtaking Paul McCartney. 

U2 bassist Adam Clayton

U2 bassist Adam Clayton 'had 2.8m euro stolen by his trusted PA who embezzled hundreds of cheques'

U2 bassist Adam Clayton's former personal assistant is on trial for embezzling 2.8 million euro of his personal funds, a Dublin court heard today.
Carol Hawkins worked for Clayton for 16 years starting as a housekeeper and earning his trust before being promoted to the role, earning up to 48,000 euro a year and living rent free at his home.
She is on trial for 181 counts of stealing cheques from the bass player between 2004 and 2008.

Adam Clayton and Carol Hawkins pictured outside The Circuit Criminal Court in Dublin today before prosecution opened its case

Hawkins was initially employed as a housekeeper at the bassist’s Georgian mansion - Danesmoate - in Rathfarnham, South Dublin, but quickly gained his trust and was promoted over the years to the role of personal assistant.

Prosecution barrister, senior counsel Colm O’Briain, told the jury of seven men and five women  at The Circuit Criminal Court in Dublin that Clayton appointed Ms Hawkins as signatory to a number of his bank accounts.

t was from two particular accounts - known as the Fitzwilliam account and the Danesmoate account - that she is accused of withdrawing a total 2.8 million euro (2.25 million pounds) over four years.
Clayton, dressed in a dark jacket and white shirt, sat intently at the back of the court as the prosecution opened its case.

Clayton (right) and U2 manager Paul McGuinness leave Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. The court was told that Adam Clayton will be called to make a witness statement

Mr O’Briain said Ms Hawkins and her then husband John Hawkins, who had also been employed by Clayton as a driver, lived at the musician’s Danesmoate home - where U2 recorded their album The Joshua Tree.

The property was refurbished during 2005 and Ms Hawkins and her husband were forced to move into another house, which Clayton picked up the monthly rent bill of around 2,600 euro.

The pair had also been paid a joint salary, taking in around 3,800 euro a month.

But Clayton continued to pay Ms Hawkins the full amount even after her marriage ended in 2007, eventually raising her monthly income to 4,080 - representing a net salary of around 48,000 euro (38,715 pounds), the barrister added.

Ms Hawkins, from Lower Rathmines Road in Dublin, denies all the charges.

The trial is expected to last six weeks.

Mr O’Briain described the case as “a grubby tale” involving a gross breach of trust.

He urged the jury not to be swayed by the fact that Clayton is famous and wealthy, saying no man deserves to be stolen from by someone he trusts.

'Mr Clayton employed Ms Hawkins from 1992. She lived in his own house for 13 or 14 years, he placed a substantial amount of trust in her'
Mr O’Briain added: 'Trust developed. He is no different from anyone else in respect of that. He is as entitled as any other to place his trust in people, to rely on that trust and to not go about his life thinking the worst of people.'
Ms Hawkins is accused of stealing cheques from two bank accounts on which she was a signatory.

She allegedly withdrew 1.7 million euro (1.1 million pounds) from the Fitzwilliam account and 1.1 million euro (889,400 pounds) from the Danesmoate account.

The funds were then placed in three separate accounts - her own personal account, a joint account between herself and her husband John and a Bank of Ireland Credit Card Services account.

Clayton will be called as a witness during the trial.