Former Ireland rugby international Brendan Mullin has been jailed for three years for stealing over half-a-million-euro from Bank of Ireland.

Mr Mullin, of Stillorgan Road, Donnybrook, Dublin 4, was convicted on twelve of the fourteen charges he faced before a jury at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.

Mr Mullin was found guilty of stealing just over €567k from Bank of Ireland Private Bank on various dates between 2011 and 2013, while he was Managing Director.

Rugby Union - Five Nations Championship - Wales v Ireland. Image: PA Images / Alamy. 16 February 1991

He did so by arranging for sums to be moved from the bank to various legal and financial firms for work carried out for him personally, or his company.

He also stole €500k from the bank during what was described as a “breakdown in communication” between various arms of the banking group.

The money was then transferred to a company called Spice Holdings, a client Mr Mullin had brought into the bank.

The bank was fully repaid the funds, and is therefore not at a loss – something Judge Martin Nolan was asked to take into account before sentencing.

Before jailing Mr Mullin for three years, Judge Nolan noted there was no motive offered for stealing the money, but inferred that he must have been “somewhat desperate.”

Reporting by Frank Greaney.