Courts / Dublin / Report

Ex-rugby star accused of stealing €570k suggested PA may have 'swept' invoice into paperwork

Summary

An ex‑Ireland rugby international, Brendan Mullin, 60, is accused of stealing more than €570,000 from the Bank of Ireland Private Bank between July 2011 and March 2013. He denies all 15 charges, which include theft, deception and false accounting. The prosecution alleges he authorised payments to solicitors McCann Fitzgerald, accounting firm Grant Thornton and accountants Beechwood Partners for work carried out for his company, Quantum Investment Strategies, or for himself. Evidence shows that a former BOI business assurance head, Schira Donnelly, testified that Mullin suggested his PA may have "swept" an invoice into a bundle of paperwork. The trial, presided over by Judge Martin Nolan, continues with the prosecution presenting bank records, invoices and internal emails to support the allegations. Mullin has pleaded not guilty to each count. The case remains in court.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Ex-rugby star accused of stealing €570k suggested PA may have 'swept' invoice into paperwork. Charges or matters: one count of stealing €500,000 from Bank of Ireland (BOI) Private Bank, Mespil Road, Dublin 4 on December 16, 2011, along with eight other counts of stealing various amounts of money amounting to just over €73,000 from the bank on various dates; one count of deception and five counts of false accounting. Procedural stage: trial

When:

• July 2011 Incident
• March 2013 Incident
• March 15, 2013 Other
• April 2, 2013 Other
• March 25, 2013 Other
• September 2012 Other
• October 2012 Other
• October 15, 2012 Other
• December 2012 Other
• March 15 Other
• April 2013 Other
• December 16, 2011 Other
• 2024-10-17 Publication

Why: He said Mr Mullin "accepts there was no agreement" the bank would pay legal fees for himself or his private company, but his position is that he believed the bank would pay the Grant Thornton and Beechwood invoices "because of business he was conducting with the bank at the time". CNI source report

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Fraud Stage Trial Theft

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Read the original CNI report