Courts / Cavan / Report

Pair made false injury claim after reversing into off-duty garda

Summary

A Dublin court heard that Rene Cifra (34) and his wife, Olga Cifrova (31), falsely claimed they had been injured in a car accident after Cifra reversed into a van driven by an off-duty garda on Griffith Avenue, Dublin, on May 27, 2019. Both pleaded guilty to making a false and misleading personal injuries claim on dates between August 2019 and January 2020. The couple, who are originally from Slovakia and reside in Watermint Court, Royal Canal Park, Ashtown, admitted to fabricating the claims, with Cifra initially admitting fault at the scene and later filing a false claim against the van owner's insurance company, Liberty Insurance. The matter was adjourned for sentencing on July 27 following Judge Karen O'Connor's order for a probation report into the couple. Neither Cifra nor Cifrova have previous convictions, and they are the parents of two young children. The court heard that Cifra has been living in Ireland since 2008 and that both have worked minimum wage jobs. The case was brought by the Personal Injuries Assessment Board and Four Courts, with the couple's false claims being discovered after the van owner informed his insurance company of the discrepancy.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Pair made false injury claim after reversing into off-duty garda. Charges or matters: making a false and misleading personal injuries claim on dates between August 2019 and January 2020. Procedural stage: trial

When:

• May 2019 Hearing Or Sentence
• August 2019 Hearing Or Sentence
• January 2020 Hearing Or Sentence
• May 27, 2019 Hearing Or Sentence
• July 27 Adjournment
• 2021-05-04 Publication

Why: Cifra did not have good English and had already told gardaí his wife was present at the scene of the accident, in order to have a witness there. CNI source report

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Stage Trial

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Read the original CNI report