Courts / Dublin / Report
"Distressed properties" scam saw house buyers duped out of thousands
Summary
Catherine Gaffney, 53, of Donaghmede, pleaded guilty to two counts of theft and two of money‑laundering after running a fake property company, Hamilton Aherne Partners, that lured buyers into paying deposits for non‑existent or already‑sold houses. The company claimed to offer lower prices by dealing directly with banks, but the buyers were told to ignore official prices and pay a deposit. Gaffney opened a bank account for the company, withdrew the deposits, and was caught on CCTV. She was sentenced to four and a half years' imprisonment, with the final 18 months suspended on strict conditions. The case highlighted pre‑planning, loss of money to victims, and Gaffney's guilty plea and personal circumstances as mitigating factors.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: "Distressed properties" scam saw house buyers duped out of thousands. Charges or matters: two counts of theft and two counts of money-laundering in Dublin on dates in July and August, 2015. Procedural stage: sentence
When:
- July 2015 Hearing Or Sentence
- August 2015 Incident
- 2019-07-25 Publication
Why: This company piggybacked on the sale of legitimate properties by falsely claiming to potential buyers that certain houses had been repossessed and that they could offer a lower price than the estate agents because they dealt directly with the banks. CNI source report
Case subjects
Defendant
Charges: two counts of theft and two counts of money-laundering in Dublin on dates in July and August, 2015 (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: Judge Cormac Quinn sentenced her to four and a half years imprisonment, but suspended the final 18 months of the sentence on strict conditions.
Places mentioned
- Carraroe Avenue
- Donaghmede
- Dublin
- AIB Grafton Street
- Dublin
- Dublin Circuit Criminal Court
- Potential house
Topics
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