Courts / Leitrim / Report
"Devious" psychic who laundered €1.6m is jailed
Summary
A man from Aughavas, County Leitrim, has been sentenced to seven and a half years imprisonment following his conviction on money laundering charges at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Simon Gold, aged 54, pleaded not guilty to charges including money laundering, theft, deception and control of false instruments relating to offences between January 2010 and October 2012. A jury returned guilty verdicts on 20 counts after over 12 hours of deliberation, following more than two weeks of evidence. The court heard Gold operated fraudulent companies under multiple identities and targeted vulnerable individuals experiencing severe financial difficulty. Judge Martin Nolan described the crimes as devious and dishonest, noting Gold exploited men in desperate circumstances. The sentence was backdated to May 2018, when Gold first entered custody. Gold has 17 previous convictions, including 12 recorded in the United Kingdom for burglary, theft and larceny.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: "Devious" psychic who laundered €1.6m is jailed. Charges or matters: charges including money laundering, theft, deception and control of false instruments on dates between January 1, 2010 and October 22, 2012. Procedural stage: sentence. Findings: Convicted
When:
- January 1, 2010 Hearing Or Sentence
- October 22, 2012 Hearing Or Sentence
- May 18, 2018 Other
- 2008 and 2011 Other
- 2019-08-01 Publication
Why: He needed £300,000 in order to secure a loan of £3 million. CNI source report
Case subjects
Defendant
Charges: charges including money laundering, theft, deception and control of false instruments on dates between January 1, 2010 and October 22, 2012 (Proven)
Plea: Not guilty
Finding: Convicted
Outcome: Convicted; He said these were crimes involving "gross dishonesty" and that while Gold was a man of enterprise and intelligence, he "applies his acumen to crime" Judge Nolan sentenced him to seven and a half years imprisonment for both of the counts of money laundering. He also sentenced him to three years imprisonment for each of the three deception charges for which he was convicted.
Places mentioned
- Dublin
- Dublin Circuit Criminal Court
Topics
Burglary Fraud Stage Sentence Theft
Related court reports
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- "Psychic" guilty of €1.6m deception
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- Farmer tells trial of "fictitious" bank letter
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