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Psychic found guilty of deceiving man out of €10k

Summary

Debbie Paget, 56, of Knowth Court, Ballymun, Dublin, was found guilty by a jury of dishonestly inducing by deception James Byrne to give her €10,000, after she claimed her deceased father had instructed him to do so. The jury returned a not guilty verdict on a second charge of inducing Maria Byrne to give her €200. Paget pleaded not guilty to both offences. The trial, held at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, lasted a little over four hours. Judge Pauline Codd remanded Paget on continuing bail until July 10 for a sentence hearing. Paget thanked the jury and described the case as highly unusual, noting her long‑standing reputation as a psychic medium. She denied ever charging for readings or receiving money from the complainants. The case highlighted the use of alleged supernatural claims to obtain funds.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Psychic found guilty of deceiving man out of €10k. Charges or matters: both offences. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

• July 10 Adjournment
• 2023-05-16 Publication

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Fraud Stage Sentence

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Read the original CNI report