Courts / Kilkenny / Report

DJ Carey jailed for 5.5 years for 'reprehensible' cancer fraud

Summary

DJ Carey, a former Kilkenny hurler aged 54, was sentenced by the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to five and a half years in prison for defrauding over 20 people of almost €400,000 by falsely claiming to have cancer. Between 2014 and 2022, he obtained €394,127 and $13,000 from victims, promising repayment but never fulfilling it; only €44,200 was repaid, leaving €349,927 and $13,000 outstanding. Carey pleaded guilty to ten counts of dishonestly inducing payment, eight further charges of dishonesty, and two counts of using a false instrument. The judge described the fraud as "very low" yet "reprehensible" and imposed a global sentence of five and a half years, comprising a four‑year term followed by a consecutive one‑and‑a‑half‑year term. Carey had no prior convictions and had cooperated with Gardaí, but the court noted his reputation as a celebrated hurler had been destroyed by the case.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: DJ Carey jailed for 5.5 years for 'reprehensible' cancer fraud. Charges or matters: 10 counts of dishonestly inducing others to pay money to him after fraudulently claiming to have cancer. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

• December 2022 Other
• 2014 and 2022 Other
• 2025-11-04 Publication

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Fraud Stage Sentence

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Read the original CNI report