Michelle Butterworth jailed for credit card fraud

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

Michelle Butterworth was jailed for one year for credit fraud at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, as reported on 10 March 2017. The offences involved purchases in Galway, Kildare and Dublin using fake credit cards over three weekends in September and October 2016.

Butterworth pleaded guilty to 13 offences after the gang bought €8,875 worth of goods, including phones, watches, games consoles and a Claddagh ring. Judge Karen O’Connor backdated the sentence to October 2016, while the court heard that Butterworth had admitted her role and identified accomplices after her arrest.

The report said Butterworth had 31 previous UK convictions for similar fraud and theft offences. Her defence said she had taken part to repay a high-interest loan used to bury her husband.