A former senior manager with Vodafone has been sentenced to three years in prison for stealing almost €2 million from the company.

Wexford man Niall Barron pleaded guilty to the theft of the money over a four year period.

Mr Barron - who has an address at Ard na Cuan in Wexford town - pleaded guilty to a number of counts of causing loss to Vodafone.

He formerly held the position of head of corporate financial services at the telecoms company.

The judge said it was not clear how much Mr Barron had benefited personally, but that he had deprived the company of €1.95 million.

He said it was a very sophisticated, premeditated and sustained breach of trust over long time between 2003 and 2007.

A number of factors - including an early plea, co-operation with the trial and previous good character - were considered as mitigating factors in the length of the sentence.

Niall Barron will serve three years in jail.