Accountant given suspended sentence for defrauding farmer over mortgage

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

Francis Joseph Woods was sentenced to 18 months in prison, suspended on strict conditions, after pleading guilty to defrauding a farmer over a mortgage. Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that Woods arranged a €54,500 mortgage in the farmer’s name in 2007; the farmer was later told he owed the loan plus interest. The court heard that Woods had breached the farmer’s trust and that the farmer still owed a significant amount. The judge cited Woods’s guilty plea, a €10,000 payment, health issues and testimonials among the mitigating factors.