Courts / Wicklow / Report

Con artist jailed for stealing life savings of elderly women

Summary

Gerry O'Brien, 41, was sentenced to five years in prison at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court after pleading guilty to two counts of stealing by deception. He admitted to stealing €107,286 in cash and cheques from a 77-year-old Dublin woman between July 2017 and November 2018, and €27,254 from a 73-year-old Dublin woman between August and November 2018. Judge Pauline Codd described the offences as despicable, noting O'Brien's psychological manipulation of the elderly victims. His wife, Joanne O'Brien, 39, pleaded guilty to two counts of theft from the first complainant, totalling €900. She was given a suspended nine-month sentence on conditions. The court heard that Gerry O'Brien used fabricated sob stories and a fake solicitor to convince the women he would repay them from a fictitious insurance payout. He has 68 previous convictions, while Joanne O'Brien has 28, mostly for road traffic offences. Defence counsel for Gerry O'Brien highlighted his remorse, though the judge noted his letter focused on his own woes rather than the victims. Joanne O'Brien's defence noted she had repaid the stolen money. The matter was finalised with these sentences handed down.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Con artist jailed for stealing life savings of elderly women. Charges or matters: one count of stealing €107,286 in cash and cheques by deception from a 77-year-old Dublin woman between July 2017 and November 2018; one count of stealing €27,254 in cash and cheques by deception from a 73-year-old Dublin woman between August and November 2018. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

• July 2017 Hearing Or Sentence
• November 2018 Hearing Or Sentence
• December 23, 2017 Incident
• July 12, 2018 Incident
• 2021-05-17 Publication

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Fraud Road Traffic Stage Sentence Theft

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Read the original CNI report