Courts / Dublin / Report

Scammer conned €135k out of women with 'sob stories'

Summary

Gerry O'Brien and Joanne O'Brien appeared before Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, where both pleaded guilty to theft charges. Gerry O'Brien admitted to one count of stealing €107,286 in cash and cheques by deception from Beryl Tilson, then aged 77, at a Sandyford address between July 2017 and November 2018. He also pleaded guilty to one count of stealing €27,254 in cash and cheques by deception from Rosemary Fitzgerald, then aged 73, at a Blackrock address between August and November 2018. Joanne O'Brien pleaded guilty to two counts of theft from Ms Tilson on December 23, 2017, and July 12, 2018. The prosecution alleged the defendants used fabricated sob stories and a fake solicitor to deceive the victims. Judge Pauline Codd adjourned the matter to May 17 for sentencing. The court noted Gerry O'Brien has 68 previous convictions, while Joanne O'Brien has 28, mostly for road traffic offences. Defence counsel stated Gerry O'Brien was remorseful, though the judge noted his letter focused on his own woes rather than the victims. It was also noted that Joanne O'Brien had repaid the €900 stolen from Ms Tilson. The matter was adjourned and not concluded.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Scammer conned €135k out of women with 'sob stories'. Charges or matters: one count of stealing €107,286 in cash and cheques by deception from Beryl Tilson (then aged 77) at an address in Sandyford between July 2017 and November 2018; one count of stealing €27,254 in cash and cheques from Rosemary Fitzgerald (then aged 73) by deception at an address in Blackrock between August and November 2018. Procedural stage: hearing_or_decision

When:

• July 2017 Hearing Or Sentence
• November 2018 Hearing Or Sentence
• December 23, 2017 Hearing Or Sentence
• July 12, 2018 Hearing Or Sentence
• May 17 Adjournment
• 2021-03-09 Publication

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Fraud Road Traffic Stage Hearing Or Decision Theft

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Read the original CNI report