Courts / Dublin / Report

Accountant used client's mortgage to pay off debts

Summary

In a case heard by the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Francis Joseph Woods, a 75‑year‑old accountant and property developer, was found guilty of defrauding a farmer by securing a €54,000 mortgage on the farmer's behalf in 2007. Woods, acting as director of a property development company, persuaded the farmer to pay a €14,000 deposit and sign a loan agreement after a meeting with a mortgage broker. The farmer later received his deposit back in 2008, but was informed by Ulster Bank in 2009 that he owed the full mortgage amount plus interest. Gardaí uncovered a forged mortgage drawdown letter during their 2015 investigation. Woods pleaded guilty to one count of defrauding the farmer, admitted financial difficulty, and had no prior convictions except minor traffic offences. Judge Orla Crowe sentenced him to an 18‑month prison term suspended on strict conditions, citing the breach of trust and the farmer's significant financial loss.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Accountant used client's mortgage to pay off debts. Charges or matters: one count of defrauding the man on a date between August 2007 and November 2007. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

• August 2007 Other
• November 2007 Other
• 2025-07-25 Publication

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Stage Sentence

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Read the original CNI report