Louth mother and daughter jailed for money laundering over €500,000 for criminal gang
A mother and daughter who laundered more than €500,000 for a criminal gang have been jailed for 18 months.
Passing sentence, Judge Dara Hayes said that the offending by Bernadette Thornton (45) and Alisha Thornton (23) was of a “different order of culpability” than that of other women who had also appeared before the circuit court following garda investigations into the Boylan Organised Crime Group.
The judge remarked that given the scale and duration of the offending in the Thorntons’ case a custodial sentence was required.
Dundalk Circuit Court heard previously that the two women, neither of whom have previous convictions, are related to a prominent member of the Boylan OCG.
Bernadette Thornton, a healthcare worker, admitted two counts of money laundering on dates between March 2020 and December 2022, totalling €282,477 in an AIB account and a Revolut account.
Meanwhile, Alisha Thornton pleaded guilty to two money laundering charges totalling €231,018 on dates between January 2021 and December 2022 in an AIB account and a Revolut account.
A make-up artist at the time of her arrest, she also admitted theft and social welfare fraud of carer’s allowance of €11,840 from October 2022 and May 2023 by making a false statement, two charges which were taken into consideration.
The total amount of the money laundered came to €513,495, and the court was told that withdrawals had been made in Dubai, Ukraine, Turkey and Ireland.
A garda detective said that Bernadette Thornton’s involvement was “more family loyalty than fear” and that she “didn’t profit at all”.
He said there was some gain for Alisha Thornton but not “major gain”.
Judge Hayes said that aggravating factors were that the offending was connected with the activities of an organised crime group and assisted a prominent member of the OCG living abroad “beyond the reach of gardaí”.
Bernadette Thornton’s motivation was family loyalty. Any suggestion of duress had not been borne out.
The court noted that she cared for her elderly mother.
Concurrent three-year, three-month sentences were imposed on each of the money laundering charges, the final 21 months suspended.
Judge Hayes refused a defence application to delay Bernadette Thornton’s committal for a week to allow her make arrangements.