A Dublin man will find out this morning if he is going to have to serve time in prison for stealing from a charity he set up to send sick children to Lapland.

John Cornelius Murphy of Church Road in Killiney was told he may avoid a custodial sentence if he finds a way to pay the money back.

Earlier this month, John Cornelius Murphy – otherwise known as Con Murphy – was found guilty of stealing over €18,600 from the Children to Lapland Appeal.

He did so by lodging four cheques from the charity into his own personal account during the months of June and July in 2010.

He was taken into custody following his conviction, but has since been released on bail.

The maximum penalty for theft is ten years in prison but at his sentence hearing last week, Mr. Justice Patrick McCartan said he would consider handing down a non-custodial sentence if he pays back what he was not entitled to take.

The 66-year-old will learn his fate when he returns to court later this morning.