Courts / Dublin / Report

18 months jail for man who was part of roof repair fraud on elderly man

Summary

Thomas Coffey, 31, of Carlow, was sentenced to 18 months' imprisonment after pleading guilty to stealing €4,800 from 81‑year‑old Sinclair Downey in September 2013. Coffey, who had 19 prior convictions including four for theft, was part of a fraud ring that overcharged Downey for roof work. Garda Colleen Doherty described how Coffey and accomplice Patrick O'Brien called Downey's home, claiming he owed further payments for unauthorised work, and then accompanied him to a bank to withdraw the cash. CCTV footage captured the men waiting with Downey and receiving the money. Coffey was arrested in Kerry in November 2013 and later admitted his role after a mobile‑phone call was found. The judge described the offence as an "odious crime" and noted Coffey's psychiatric treatment at Kerry General Hospital. O'Brien, 32, was jailed for four years for a similar theft of €14,200 from Downey.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: 18 months jail for man who was part of roof repair fraud on elderly man. Charges or matters: stealing €4,800 from Sinclair Downey at his Dublin home in September 2013; stealing €14,200 from Mr Downey. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

• September 2013 Hearing Or Sentence
• November 4, 2013 Incident
• 2015-11-23 Publication

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Fraud Stage Sentence Theft

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Read the original CNI report