Martin Awoke receives suspended sentence after accommodation scam victims repaid

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

Martin Awoke received a two-year prison sentence, suspended on strict conditions, after the court heard that the outstanding amount owed to two people seeking student accommodation in Limerick had been repaid. The proceedings were reported on 4 July 2025.

Awoke pleaded guilty to handling the proceeds of crime. Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that he had no previous convictions and that his role was limited to allowing his bank account to be used; he had no involvement in the scheme itself.

The injured parties had made payments of €5,940 and €3,880. Having heard the facts in May 2024, Judge Sarah Berkeley adjourned the case to give Awoke an opportunity to find work and raise compensation. At a previous hearing in November, she directed that €7,000 he had saved be handed to the investigating garda and agreed to a further adjournment.

Defence counsel asked the court to leave Awoke without a conviction so he could take up work as a carer. Judge Berkeley declined the application and said he was “lucky not to be going into custody”. She considered his personal circumstances, early guilty plea and expressions of remorse when imposing sentence.