A quarry owner from Limerick told Dublin Circuit Criminal Court that he paid a £10,000 deposit to secure a €4 million loan that never materialised. The man said he was contacted by someone using the name "Simon Magnier" after seeking financial assistance during the economic recession. He stated that following the deposit payment, the promised funds did not arrive and contact with the person became difficult to maintain. The trial concerns Simon Gold, aged 54, of Aughavas, County Leitrim, who has pleaded not guilty to 22 charges including money laundering, theft, deception and control of false instruments alleged to have occurred between January 2010 and October 2012. Evidence has established that the accused used multiple aliases including Simon Gould, Simon Magnier and Niall O'Donoghue, and operated an Ulster Bank account in the name Anglo Irish Global Ltd. The trial before Judge Nolan and jury continues.
Simon Gold, aged 54, with an address in Aughavas, County Leitrim, denies 22 charges including money laundering, theft, deception and control of false instruments at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. The charges relate to the period between January 2010 and October 2012. During the fifth day of evidence, a fraud prevention analyst from Ulster Bank Belfast described a meeting held on 23 October 2012 regarding an account in the name of Anglo Irish Global Ltd. According to meeting minutes, Mr Gold stated the business operated in renewable energy and affordable housing, describing it as transparent and seeking to maintain good banking relations. The court heard Mr Gold acknowledged responsibility for the account and that he had used multiple names including Simon Gold, Simon Gould, Simon Magnier and Niall O'Donoghue. When informed by bank officials that a court order had been served to freeze the account, Mr Gold reportedly disputed any wrongdoing, claiming he would be foolish to engage in money laundering. The trial continues.
A trial at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court has heard audio recordings allegedly capturing discussions about concealing large cash withdrawals. Simon Gold, aged 54, from Aughavas, County Leitrim, has pleaded not guilty to 22 charges including money laundering, theft, deception, and control of false instruments, spanning January 2010 to October 2012. Detective Garda Deirdre Heenehan told the court that gardaí recovered a laptop containing relevant recordings. In one recording from October 15, 2012, a man referred to as "Niall" allegedly expressed concern about withdrawing €50,000 from €800,000 without triggering alerts. A second recording from October 24, 2012 captured discussion of frozen accounts and requests for cash payments. The court heard that Mr Gold acknowledged €800,000 was transferred to an Ulster Bank account in the name of Anglo Irish Global Ltd on October 15, 2012, and that he is responsible for this account. The trial continues.
A 20‑year‑old Dublin man, Conor Freeman, was arrested in Glenageary Court, Dun Laoghaire, on a U.S. warrant for alleged hacking theft of more than $2 million in Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. The U.S. authorities charge him with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, four counts of aiding and abetting wire fraud and four counts of aiding and abetting aggravated identity theft. If convicted in the U.S., he faces up to 108 years in prison. Freeman was granted bail by the High Court on a bond of €5,000 with an independent surety of €15,000. He must not apply for travel documents, use technology such as a smartphone, go online, contact co‑accused, and must sign daily at Dun Laoghaire Garda Station. He is remanded on bail until July 1, when the case is next listed for mention. The U.S.
At Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, a 54-year-old man from Aughavas, County Leitrim, pleaded not guilty to 22 charges including money laundering, theft, deception and control of false instruments between January 2010 and October 2012. A garda crime analyst told the court that during interview the accused acknowledged responsibility for a bank account in the name Anglo Irish Global Ltd, through which over €660,000 was transferred across multiple accounts within four days in mid-October 2012. The court heard the accused admitted receiving two €800,000 transfers from a Danish businessman and confirmed making numerous subsequent transfers to accounts under various names he had used. The accused previously told gardaí the funds were intended for a renewable energy project in the Ivory Coast, with his company to receive approximately 20 per cent of monies processed. The trial, before Judge Nolan and a jury, continues.
Simon Gold, aged 54, from Aughavas, County Leitrim, pleaded not guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to 22 charges of money laundering, theft, deception and control of false instruments between January 2010 and October 2012. During the second day of evidence, a transcript of a garda interview was read to the jury in which Mr Gold acknowledged using multiple names including Simon Gold, Simon Magnier, Niall O'Donoghue, Simon Gould and Stephen Gould. He stated he had adopted these names to prevent gardaí from tracking him, though he claimed to have remained "in plain sight". Mr Gold confirmed that €1.6 million was transferred into an Ulster Bank account for Anglo Irish Global Ltd in October 2012, which he said was intended for a renewable energy project in the Ivory Coast. He admitted dispersing funds on instructions from others and using false documents, including an ESB bill and UK driving licence, to open accounts and make purchases. A detective sergeant described finding vacant offices at Leixlip purportedly housing the company. The trial continues before Judge Martin Nolan.
A 54-year-old man from Aughavas, County Leitrim, has gone on trial at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court charged with defrauding five men of approximately €1.7 million. Simon Gold has pleaded not guilty to 22 charges including money laundering, theft, deception, and control of false instruments, alleged to have occurred between January 2010 and October 2012. The prosecution alleges that Mr Gold represented himself under multiple identities as a qualified financier and merchant banker to deceive victims into transferring funds. A wealthy Danish businessman and four Irish men, including a quarry owner and dairy farmer, are said to have been deceived into transferring money into bank accounts controlled by the accused. The prosecution claims Mr Gold used false documentation, including a fabricated ESB bill and purported bank drafts from a non-existent Irish Nationwide Bank, to facilitate the scheme. The trial before Judge Martin Nolan and a jury continues.
Jonathan Chubb, a former property investor, withdrew his appeal against the severity of his sentence at the Court of Appeal. Chubb, 38, of Drimnagh, Dublin, had previously pleaded guilty to 34 counts of theft and one count of money laundering committed between March 2013 and July 2015. He also admitted to providing a false reference, deception, and possession of a forged driving licence. The Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that Chubb allegedly stole deposits from 11 would-be tenants who believed he was the landlord of an apartment on Tyrconnell Road. Gardaí reported that victims arrived at the address to find numerous others in similar situations. One victim, a woman with an eight-year-old daughter, was left homeless as a result of the alleged fraud. Chubb was sentenced to seven-and-a-half years' imprisonment on June 1, 2018, with the final 18 months suspended. Judge Karen O'Connor noted the offending was premeditated and involved vulnerable victims. Before the appeal hearing began, President of the Court of Appeal Mr Justice George Birmingham advised Chubb's lawyers that the court could increase as well as reduce sentences. Following this warning, Chubb's barrister, James Dwyer SC, stated that Chubb wished to withdraw the appeal. Chubb confirmed this decision to the court. The matter was adjourned, and the appeal was not concluded.
Noel Ryan, 42, of Charleville Mall, Dublin, pleaded guilty to handling a stolen Toyota Land Cruiser and deception on 27 June 2016 and to unauthorized taking of a Ford Fiesta on 24 March 2017. He sold the stolen Land Cruiser on DoneDeal, arranging a meeting at Woodie's car park in Lucan where the buyer paid €11,600 after noticing marks on the car. The victim later learned the log book was false and that the vehicle had been stolen from Drogheda. Ryan also advertised the Fiesta on DoneDeal, met the buyer at Northside Shopping Centre, and stole the car after a test drive, taking the driver's licence and superimposing his own photo on it. He had 16 prior convictions, including aggravated burglary and robbery, and was on bail at the time of the offences. The case is pending sentencing at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, with a probation report to be prepared before the hearing on 21 June.
A 20‑year‑old Irishman, Conor Freeman, was arrested in Dun Laoghaire on 9 May 2019 after a US warrant was served. US authorities allege that Freeman, part of an online group called "The Community," conspired to hack targets using SIM hijacking to steal more than $2 million in Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies between February and May 2018. The indictment, issued by a Grand Jury in the Eastern District of Michigan, charges Freeman with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, four counts of aiding and abetting wire fraud and four counts of aiding and abetting aggravated identity theft. If convicted in the US, Freeman faces up to 108 years in prison. He was remanded in custody by the High Court to appear on 22 May for a bail application. The case remains at the extradition stage, with no further proceedings reported.
David Healy, 48, of Passage West, Cork, was found guilty of arson after he set fire to his own commercial premises, Munster Air Compressors, on 16 December 2014, causing damage over €200,000. He pleaded not guilty to the arson but later pleaded guilty to a second charge of attempted deception on 8 January 2015. On 15 May 2018, Judge Gerard O'Brien sentenced him to a 10‑year suspended term and a €33,000 fine. The Director of Public Prosecutions appealed, and the Court of Appeal, led by Mr Justice George Birmingham, ruled the original sentence was "unduly lenient." Healy was re‑sentenced to seven years' imprisonment, with the final five years suspended for the arson, credit for ten weeks already spent in custody, and a wholly suspended three‑year sentence for the attempted deception. He will begin serving a net jail term of two years on 13 May.
Keegan Davidson, 25, appeared before Dublin Circuit Criminal Court where he pleaded guilty to four offences under the 2010 Money Laundering Act. The charges relate to engaging in the transfer or conversion of monies knowing they were proceeds of crime, or being reckless as to whether they were, on September 30, 2017. Prosecution evidence indicated that Davidson provided his bank account details to a criminal gang involved in an "invoice redirect" fraud scam. A bogus email directed an engineering company to pay €104,107 into Davidson's account. He subsequently withdrew approximately €43,759 across various bureaux de change and post offices in Dublin, using his Irish passport for identification. Detective Garda Thomas Burke stated there was no evidence Davidson was involved in the initial fraud, only the laundering of proceeds. Around €46,000 was later retrieved by the bank. Davidson's previous convictions include possession of knives, public order, theft, and trespass; in 2011, he received a suspended sentence for possession of a sawn-off shotgun. Defence counsel Luigi Rea BL noted Davidson's history of psychosis exacerbated by drug abuse. Judge Pauline Codd adjourned the case to July 1 for sentencing and remanded Davidson on continuing bail. The matter was adjourned and not concluded at this stage.
In a High Court case, Revenue sought to freeze assets of the Animal Heaven Animal Rescue charity, claiming a debt of €145,000. The court had issued temporary orders restricting the charity's assets to below €191,000 and preventing transfer of its 37 acres in County Kerry to Athlone SPCA. The charity's trustees, including CEO David Hall, were named in the orders. Mr Hall, appointed to the board in 2018, intends to submit a sworn statement to clarify factual matters and address reputational damage caused by online allegations of fraud. Counsel for Revenue agreed to adjourn the hearing until the affidavit is filed, with the injunction remaining in force until the full hearing in May. The case remains at the pre‑hearing stage, with no verdict yet reached.
Paddy Harty, 45, of Ennis, was on the run when he sexually assaulted a 53‑year‑old woman he met in a pub in Kildare on 23 April 2015. He pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court and was sentenced to four years imprisonment, consecutive to a four‑year sentence for theft and fraud that he had received two months earlier. Harty's appeal against the severity of the sentence was dismissed by the Court of Appeal, which found the total sentence "appropriate". The Court noted that Harty had met the woman in a bar, they had drinks, kissed, and then he drove her to a secluded area known as 'Braveheart Hill'. There he removed her bottom clothing and forcibly held her by the arms. She fled, hid in a thorny bush and called the Gardaí. Harty was identified from CCTV footage and initially denied having met the woman.
Two men from Dublin have been sentenced following their involvement in a significant drugs seizure and money laundering operation. Patrick Kavanagh, aged 59, of Ballygall Crescent, Finglas, and Patrick Hannon, of Rathvilly Park, Finglas, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of amphetamine and cannabis for sale or supply on 21 August 2017. Gardaí intercepted the pair moving drugs from a storage unit in north Dublin, recovering approximately nine kilogrammes of MDMA and eleven kilogrammes of cannabis herb and resin, with an estimated street value of €645,720. Hannon additionally pleaded guilty to three counts of possessing proceeds of crime, having allowed cheques from companies using false identities to be lodged into his bank account. Judge Melanie Greally imposed concurrent sentences of three years for the money laundering offences. She sentenced Kavanagh to four and a half years with the final eighteen months suspended, and Hannon to six and a half years with the final eighteen months suspended. The judge noted both men occupied lower positions within the criminal hierarchy and had expressed remorse.
Paul Carew, a 42‑year‑old Dublin resident, was sentenced to eight years' imprisonment for laundering €660,000 linked to the Kinahan crime gang. He pleaded guilty to three counts of money laundering for activities between 2014 and 2016. In August 2016, Gardaí seized €191,160 from a concealed compartment in a van he drove at Liffey Valley Shopping Centre; in June 2016, they found €350,000 in a box he placed in a van at Dublin Auto Prestige Car Wash. Carew had previously received a suspended sentence in 2014 for possessing nearly €68,000 of criminal proceeds. Judge Martin Nolan described the offence as "very serious" and noted that most of the money came from drug dealing. Carew's appeal against the sentence was dismissed by the Court of Appeal, which upheld the eight‑year term as appropriate for the offences committed.
Two Dublin men pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to charges relating to a fraudulent forestry investment scheme. Between January 2014 and mid-2016, Garret Hevey and David Peile induced approximately 143 foreign investors to deposit roughly €5.5 million into Arden Forestry Management. Detective Inspector Catharina Gunne told the court the investments would have required around 858 acres of land, but the company owned only 30.2 acres. Investors were promised returns based on government grants and forest harvesting, though the company was ineligible for grants as its trees exceeded the twenty-year age limit. One investor visited a forest site in Frenchpark, County Roscommon, but was prevented from accessing the land registry to verify ownership. Hevey, of Shankill, Dublin, and Peile, of Ballyguile, Wicklow, both pleaded guilty to dishonestly inducing investment and deception charges. Approximately €1.98 million remained in the company account when gardaí froze it, with €1.5 million having been transferred to a Dubai account. Judge Melanie Greally remanded both men on bail pending sentencing submissions.
In March 2019, Gamiya Muftau, aged 24, was sentenced to two years in prison for his role in a €360,000 money‑laundering scheme that stole funds from Maynooth University. The fraud began in summer 2015 when university staff paid a contractor, Rhatigans, into a fraudulent account after a phone call from someone claiming to be from the firm. The money was then transferred through 15 transactions to several accounts, one belonging to Muftau. He pleaded guilty to possessing €18,100 as proceeds of crime and was arrested in December 2016. Judge Melanie Greally accepted his guilty plea and cooperation, noting his poor judgment and low‑level involvement. She imposed a two‑year sentence, suspended for 18 months, and ordered 12 months of post‑release supervision focused on accommodation and education. Muftau has been in custody since November 2018.
The High Court ordered the extradition of Daniel O'Connell, 65, the alleged "controlling mind" behind a £20 million VAT fraud. O'Connell, who lives in Clare and Limerick, had challenged the extradition on grounds of delay, his right to a fair trial and his indigence. Justice Aileen Donnelly rejected all objections, stating no evidence of a real risk to his rights. O'Connell was convicted in 2000 for five VAT evasion offences and sentenced to eight years, released on licence in 2003. A confiscation order of almost £6 million was imposed, with a seven‑year sentence for default. By 2016 the balance was nearly £6 million plus interest. He was arrested in 2017 under a European Arrest Warrant and will appeal the extradition order next Wednesday.
Mr Baljit Singh Bhandal, a British businessman, has taken legal action in the Irish High Court against the Irish Banking Resolution Corporation Ltd (IBRC) in special liquidation. Bhandal claims that IBRC refused to recognise a £113 million judgment he secured against it in the English High Court in March 2013, which arose from a sale of his property Updown Court in Surrey. He argues that IBRC's special liquidators rejected his claim on the basis that it was not "true and bona fide," citing a 2015 judgment that found him involved in money laundering and that the property was acquired through proceeds of crime. Bhandal maintains he was never charged or convicted of those offences and seeks to have the 2013 judgment admitted as an unsecured liability in the special liquidation, and to review the liquidators' exercise of powers. The case was heard before Mr Justice Tony O'Connor and is expected to continue for several days.
In a High Court hearing on 15 January 2019, the court considered the extradition of Daniel O'Connell, a 65‑year‑old Cork man, to the United Kingdom to serve a custodial sentence related to a multimillion‑euro VAT fraud. O'Connell was arrested in 2017 under a European Arrest Warrant issued by UK authorities. He had previously been sentenced in 2000 to eight years' imprisonment for five offences of knowingly evading VAT, and in 2003 received an additional seven‑year sentence for non‑payment of a confiscation order of almost £6 million. By 2016 the order's balance was nearly £6 million plus £5.5 million in interest. The court heard that the confiscation order remained outstanding, making the extradition necessary to enforce the overall sentence. O'Connell's counsel argued that the 17‑year delay invalidated the order under the European Convention on Human Rights, citing disproportionate penalties and lack of evidence of payment ability.
A 50‑year‑old man was sentenced to 12 years' imprisonment, with the final six months suspended, for 22 offences of sexual abuse, oral rape, child sexual exploitation and attempted rape committed between October 2009 and July 2011 in his Dublin family home. The victim, aged 13 to 15 at the time, was abused for three years while a young teenager. She testified that the abuse left her feeling "killed inside" and described ongoing psychological harm. The judge noted the man's manipulation, control and failure to fulfil his paternal duties, and ordered him to engage with the Probation Service for six months upon release. The man denied all allegations, claimed the victim fabricated the story, and has not expressed remorse. He has prior convictions for handling stolen property and fraud and has been in custody since 2017. The court suspended the final six months of the term, taking into account his good work history.
A 24‑year‑old man, Gamiya Muftau, will be sentenced later for his role in a €350,000 fraud that stole money from Maynooth University. In summer 2015, university staff paid a contractor, Rhatigans, into a fraudulent account after a phone call from someone claiming to be from the firm. The university transferred €362,810 to the fake account, which was then moved through 15 transactions to several accounts, one belonging to Muftau. He pleaded guilty to possessing €18,100 as proceeds of crime at AIB, Capel Street, on 25 August 2015. Muftau was arrested in December 2016, gave false addresses, and later admitted he was squatting. He claimed he was unaware the money was stolen and had no access to it. He has seven prior convictions, mainly traffic offences. Judge Melanie Greally ordered a probation report and adjourned sentencing to 14 March.
Owen McKeever, 63, of Crumlin, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to fraudulently claiming over €40,000 of Jobseeker's Allowance in his brother Brendan's name between 2009 and 2013. He was also making a legitimate claim in his own name at the time. The court, after receiving signed guilty pleas for 50 counts of social welfare fraud, imposed 200 hours of community service to be completed over 12 months, instead of a prison sentence of two years and three months. The fraud was uncovered through facial imaging technology introduced in 2013, which matched McKeever's photograph with one purporting to be his brother's. McKeever admitted the fraud, stating "I put my hands up," and accepted the €41,871 loss to the Exchequer. He had already paid €4,700 to revenue and an additional €3,500 to his solicitor for repayment.
A Dublin man, Robert Ward, aged 24, was sentenced to three years in prison for fraud after he altered a €11,321 cheque taken from a flooring company and attempted to lodge it at AIB on Swords Road, Santry, on 13 June 2014. He also admitted using a €5,221 cheque as a false instrument at an AIB branch on St Brigid's Road, Artane, on 12 May 2014. Gardaí arrested eight people in connection with the fraud offences. Judge Melanie Greally sentenced Ward to four years, suspended the final 12 months, and credited him for seven months already spent in custody. Ward had previously pleaded guilty to stealing a safe containing €500 from Teo's Takeaway in Coolock on 27 March 2017. He has 106 prior convictions, including 18 for theft and three for Circuit Court offences.
Mazin Albaqir, 51, was sentenced to four years in prison with the final two years suspended after pleading guilty to seven counts of stealing €178,000 in social welfare payments between February 2002 and December 2009. He failed to disclose a property in the UAE valued at about €110,000 and savings of €47,500. Albaqir, an Irish citizen originally from Iraq, had lived in Ireland since 1999 and is a married father of three. He used part of the stolen money to fund a master's degree and has repaid €56,000, leaving a debt of just under €123,000. The court noted his cooperation, guilty plea, and lack of prior convictions, and accepted that he is not a risk of re‑offending. Judge Pauline Codd highlighted that welfare fraud undermines fairness and social solidarity. The suspended portion reflects his remorse and cooperation. The case also mentioned his recent hospital admission for suicidal ideation and separation from his wife.
Lawyers for Henry Alinta, 44, who was found guilty of money laundering under Section 7.1 of the Criminal Justice Money Laundering and Terrorism Financing Act 2010, have asked the Court of Appeal for guidance on how the complex legislation should be explained to juries. Alinta was convicted by a jury at Trim Circuit Criminal Court after 27 minutes of deliberation and sentenced to four years' imprisonment, with the final 18 months suspended by Judge Michael O'Shea. He was released early from serving his sentence. Alinta is appealing on the grounds that the trial judge allegedly confused the jury on the presumption of innocence and the burden of proof, and that the verdict was perverse given the dense, difficult language of the legislation. His barrister, Pauline Walley SC, argued that the judge failed to bridge the distinction between the burden of proof and the shifting presumptions, and that the legislation is widely drafted and complex. Henry Alinta pleaded not guilty.
In a High Court hearing on 23 November 2018, Mr Justice Senan Allen dismissed an injunction application by Blue Diamond Sports Ltd, trading as Dundalk Bureau de Change, and its related firm Blue Diamond Sports No 2 Ltd. The firms sought to prevent the Bank of Ireland (BOI) from terminating their banking arrangements, alleging that BOI's decision was discriminatory, disproportionate, unlawful and breached EU Payment Services Regulations. BOI had informed Blue Diamond in April that it intended to end the relationship shortly after the firm repaid a loan. BOI justified the termination on suspicions of money‑laundering activity, citing the 2010 Money Laundering and Terrorism Financing Act, which obliges banks to report suspicious transactions. The judge found the injunction application failed at the first hurdle, that the balance of convenience did not favour granting it, and that any closure could be fairly measured and compensated by damages.
Laura Byrne, 40, of Ardglass, Baltinglass, was found guilty of eight counts of theft and two counts of deception by using false HSE receipts between 16 April 2015 and 21 October 2016. She admitted stealing €30,413 from the daily‑care wards at Clonskeagh Hospital, where patients paid €5 a day for meals and transport. The money was collected by Byrne, who was expected to lodge receipts to the HSE and keep an electronic record. Unofficial receipts and missing weeks raised concerns, and the hospital later reported the theft. Byrne gave a prepared statement admitting the theft, apologising, and explaining that her husband had been out of work for two years and then suffered a heart attack, leaving her to manage finances under extreme stress. She has no prior convictions. The court adjourned the case for 12 months to allow a probation report and for Byrne to continue restitution. She is due to be sentenced on 18 November next year.
In November 2018, Berlin‑based W2 Filmproduktion Vertriebs GmbH filed a derivative action against Irish film producers Morgan O'Sullivan and James Flynn, alleging that the two diverted between €40 million and €50 million from Octagon Films Ltd, a company in which they are shareholders, to themselves or to corporate entities they control. W2 claims breach of duty, fraud and conspiracy, and seeks damages and a declaration that the defendants must account for all profits made through Octagon and the producers' involvement in numerous TV and film productions. O'Sullivan and Flynn deny the allegations, asserting they did not divert any fees or income and that Octagon was a separate entity devoted to film development. They argue that the company benefited from their association with projects outside Octagon's business and will provide forensic accountancy evidence to refute W2's claims.
In November 2017 a High Court judge ordered the extradition of Denis Harrington, a 42‑year‑old from Cork, to the Netherlands for seven alleged fraud offences between 2014 and 2015. The Dutch authorities allege that Harrington, as part of a group of Irish Travellers, targeted mainly senior homeowners with a roof‑repair scam. Victims were told urgent roof work was needed; the men then removed roof tiles and battens, causing leaks and damage. Harrington was arrested under a European Arrest Warrant issued by Dutch authorities in August 2017. His lawyers challenged the warrant, arguing it was verbal and contained ambiguities. The judge noted the warrant incorrectly listed ten offences and clarified it covered seven. Harrington is currently serving a prison sentence in Ireland until 20 December, after which the court will finalize the extradition order. The case centres on the alleged use of false names, fictitious companies, and coercive tactics to obtain payments from victims.
Patrick Wheelock, an engineer and businessman, has taken the High Court to challenge the appointment of Stephen Tennant of Grant Thornton as receiver over his Monvoy lands in County Waterford. Wheelock alleges that the signatures on deeds of mortgage, purportedly charging his property to the now-defunct Anglo Irish Bank, are forgeries. He claims he never agreed to any mortgage or charge and was unaware of the purported deeds until 2014, when he sued his former accountant for alleged fraud and misappropriation of €7.9 million. The accountant had allegedly falsified Wheelock's signature on documents dated 2003 and 2008, creating security interests in favour of Anglo. NAMA acquired the mortgages, sold them to Promontoria in 2017, and Promontoria appointed a receiver to bypass commercial court proceedings. Wheelock seeks orders preventing the receiver from selling or advertising the Monvoy lands, which he intends to develop. The case is currently before the Commercial Court, with the matter returned to Friday's sitting.
Jonathan Chubb, a 38‑year‑old former property investor from Dublin, pleaded guilty to 34 counts of theft and one count of money laundering for stealing deposits from 11 would‑be tenants between March 2013 and July 2015. He also admitted to providing a false reference, deception and possession of a forged driving licence. The victims had believed Chubb was the landlord of an apartment at Oblate View, Tyrconnell Road, and were left homeless, including a woman who had no family support and her eight‑year‑old daughter. Chubb's fraudulent activities netted almost €50,000. He was sentenced on 1 June 2018 to seven‑and‑a‑half years' imprisonment, with the final 18 months suspended. Ten weeks after the sentencing, he lodged an appeal for a reduction in the severity of the sentence.
In a settlement announced on 31 October 2018, FBD Insurance Plc withdrew its claim against Claregalway Leisure Centre Ltd and Frank McNabb Insurances Public Loss Assessors Ltd. The dispute centred on an alleged fraudulent invoice from a flooring company that was used to claim €32,800 in interim payment and €6,000 in loss‑adjuster fees for roof and interior repairs after a 2009 storm. FBD sought the return of these amounts, arguing the invoice was inflated. Claregalway Leisure Centre denied the fraud allegations and counter‑claimed that it was entitled to approximately €82,000 under its policy, of which €32,800 had been paid, but the insurer refused the balance. The centre also sought exemplary damages and a full indemnity from the loss assessor. After the case was adjourned, the parties reached a settlement and the claim was struck out by Mr Justice Michael McGrath.
The High Court has ordered the extradition of a Roscommon man wanted in the United Kingdom for involvement in a £5 million tax fraud. Thomas Joseph O'Connor, aged 50 and resident at Cloughbeirne, The Walk, County Roscommon, was convicted at Blackfriars Crown Court in London in January 2007 following a six-week trial and sentenced to four years and six months imprisonment for defrauding the British revenue. He failed to attend his sentencing hearing while on bail and faces additional charges of absconding. O'Connor had opposed his extradition on various grounds, including concerns related to Brexit. However, the Supreme Court dismissed his appeal on 24 October 2018, with Chief Justice Frank Clarke stating he had been afforded ample opportunity to raise relevant objections. Justice Aileen Donnelly ordered his surrender to UK authorities effective 31 October 2018.
The Irish High Court froze a retirement fund worth £167,000 held by a Dublin‑registered financial services company for Mr Michael 'Lionella Boscardi' Cowan, a UK film producer under investigation for alleged fraud. The order followed a UK request to recognise a 2017 external freezing by a London court, applied under the 2008 Criminal Mutual Assistance Act. The court heard that UK authorities suspect Cowan and others of defrauding 246 investors of £11.2 million between 2012 and 2016, laundering the money through various company accounts, banks, third‑party disbursements and personal expenses. Investors were reportedly offered high‑return film‑investment opportunities linked to UK tax relief, directed to pay entities tied to films that never materialised, and received certificates allegedly signed by Cowan. Cowan denies wrongdoing, claims stress and autism, and says he was a victim of fraud. The retirement policy, paid for with investor funds, began before the alleged fraud. The High Court adjourned the matter.
A Dublin business owner has been ordered to complete 240 hours of community service for using fraudulent documents to secure a €71,000 mortgage. Kevin Molloy, aged 49, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to three offences under the Theft and Fraud Offences Act committed between December 2014 and August 2016. The Donegal native, now resident in Celbridge, Co Kildare, had submitted false salary certificates, altered tax documents, and fabricated wage slips to Ulster Bank during his mortgage application in 2016. Judge Melanie Greally imposed the community service order, to be completed within twelve months, in lieu of an eighteen-month prison sentence. The judge noted the bank sustained no financial loss, that Molloy had cooperated with gardaí, and that he maintained mortgage repayments. The offences were discovered following a Bank of Ireland report to gardaí in July 2016.
Blue Diamond Sports Ltd, trading as Dundalk Bureau de Change, and its sister company Blue Diamond Sports No 2 Ltd have applied to the High Court for an injunction to stop the Bank of Ireland from terminating their banking relationship. The banks claim the firms are linked to money‑laundering activity and have therefore decided to close their accounts. Blue Diamond denies any wrongdoing, arguing that the bank's decision is discriminatory, disproportionate, lacks objectivity and is unlawful. The firm, which acts as an agent for Moneygram International Ltd, says it has been unable to secure alternative banking services and that the loss of its accounts would force it out of business. The application seeks declarations that the bank's withdrawal of services is unlawful, discriminatory, disproportionate and breaches EU payment‑services regulations.
In a High Court case concerning the sale of allegedly "clocked" second‑hand cars imported from Japan, the action against Mr Ali Babar, Mr Ali Asad and Cars Point Ltd was resolved and struck out. The plaintiffs, Stuart Kessie, John McCormack and Caroline Bermingham, claimed that more than 20 vehicles they purchased from the defendants had their odometers tampered with, reducing mileage from around 170,000 km to about 63,000 km, and that they were deceived into paying a higher price. They sought refunds and had approached Gardaí. Temporary freezing orders were obtained against Mr Babar and Mr Asad, but the defendants did not appear in court. Judge Caroline Costello agreed to strike out the proceedings and vacated the freezing orders, with no details of any settlement disclosed. The case was therefore concluded without a judgment on the alleged fraud.
Johnathon Harding, 46, of Mc Neill Court, Sallins, Kildare, was already serving a 10‑year prison sentence for possession of nine revolvers, four pistols, a sub‑machine gun, an assault rifle and ammunition magazines. In October 2016 he attempted to obtain a €260,000 mortgage from the Bank of Ireland by submitting false documents: three payslips dated January, February and March 2016, a false bank statement covering August 2015 to March 2016, and additional false payslips and a bank statement covering October 2014 to April 2016. The bank detected the fraud immediately and Harding withdrew the application after a few days. On 16 October 2018, Judge Melanie Greally sentenced him to 18 months in prison for the mortgage fraud, to be served concurrently with his existing term. The court noted no loss to the bank and that Harding had cooperated with the Garda investigation. Harding has eight prior convictions, including a six‑year drug‑possession sentence from 2004. Johnathon Harding pleaded guilty.
Patrick Sherry, 32, of Ventry Park, Cabra, Dublin, pleaded guilty in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to attempting to secure a mortgage of €171,000 by submitting a false mortgage application between 8 June and 8 August 2015. He also faced charges for possessing and using false documents to support the application. Gardaí were alerted to the fraud in March 2016 after Sherry had applied for a mortgage the previous June. The documents he submitted, including bank statements, financial accounts and Revenue notices of assessment, were found to be bogus. The bank statements claimed a balance of €10,623 when his actual balance was €195; his 2013 accounts overstated earnings by €35,000 and his 2014 accounts by €33,000. Revenue officials were also contacted and the tax documentation was found false. Sherry was arrested at his home in July 2015 but exercised his right to silence during the interview.
Siobhan Maguire, 48, of The Brambles, Skerries, was convicted of 32 sample theft and fraud charges for fraudulently lodging 660 cheques into her personal bank account between 2001 and 2015. The cheques, falsely endorsed on the back, ranged from €5,000 to several hundred euros, and the total theft amounted to €1,187,616. She had initially faced 1,320 charges. The Court of Appeal found her original four‑year sentence too harsh compared with similar offences and re‑sentenced her to three years imprisonment, with the final year suspended. The judge noted her early guilty plea, cooperation, good character, low re‑offending risk, genuine remorse, and lack of wealth. She entered a good‑behaviour bond for the suspended year and pledged to comply. The sentence was imposed on 3 October 2018.
The Central Bank was granted access to the transcripts and exhibits from the trial of former Anglo Irish Bank CEO David Drumm. The application was made before Judge Karen O'Connor at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court after written submissions and relevant case law were submitted last Tuesday. The application was not contested by the Director of Public Prosecutions or Drumm. Drumm, aged 51, was jailed for six years last month for his role in a multi‑billion‑euro bank fraud scheme in 2008. The jury returned unanimous guilty verdicts on conspiracy to defraud and false accounting after just over ten and a half hours of deliberations. The State alleged that Drumm conspired with former Irish Life & Permanent CEO Denis Casey, Anglo's former financial director Willie McAteer and former Head of Treasury John Bowe, among others, to carry out €7.2 bn in fraudulent circular transactions to inflate Anglo's customer deposits figure.
John Stokes, aged 30, was found guilty of 343 counts of theft related to a sophisticated social welfare fraud that spanned from April 2008 to December 2013. He had originally received a wholly suspended four‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence from Judge Michael O'Shea on 30 June 2017. The Director of Public Prosecutions argued that the sentence was unduly lenient, and the Court of Appeal agreed. Judge Patrick McCarthy, sitting with Judges George Birmingham and John Hedigan, imposed an 18‑month custodial term, with the remainder of the four‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence suspended. The fraud involved €55,000 in Jobseekers Allowance and €47,000 in Rent Allowance, and Stokes had rented a house in Sallins, Co. Kildare, to facilitate the scheme. He had also provided €4,000 in restitution and an additional €2,000 through withheld child allowance, and was paying €28 a week in restitution from social welfare payments.
A couple, Muhammed Kashif (42) and his wife Deepa Vaswani (39), were found with an "Aladdin's cave" of stolen goods in a Dublin hotel room. Garda analysis of Kashif's laptop revealed 200 pages of chat where four people shared stolen credit‑card details. The couple used these details to purchase €1,452 worth of toys from Smyths Toys, €161 of sex toys, a six‑night stay at the Fitzwilliam Hotel (€2,781), flights from Dublin to New York (€3,592) and to Kuala Lumpur (€8,798). Seized items included a camera, a €4,000 watch, six phones, new clothes and €15,000 of foreign currency. Judge Melanie Greally sentenced them to four years, suspending three, and ordered them to leave Ireland for 20 years. They pleaded guilty to handling stolen card information, fraud, theft and criminal damage. They have no prior convictions.
Two Dublin grandparents, Annette McCluskey (57) and her husband Edward McCluskey (61), admitted fraudulently claiming over €72,000 in social welfare payments over 11 years. Annette worked as a cleaner under an assumed name while Edward falsely claimed adult‑dependent allowance payments. Both pleaded guilty to multiple counts of stealing adult‑dependent allowance and other related offences. The court imposed a three‑year suspended sentence on Annette and a two‑year suspended sentence on Edward, after arrangements were made for the couple to pay €28 a week to the Department of Social and Family Affairs and having already repaid over €3,000. The judge noted their ill health, lack of lavish lifestyle, and the impact of Edward's alcohol addiction, concluding that the couple had learned a "salutary lesson" and were unlikely to re‑engage in such offences. The court did not impose a custodial sentence or community service.
Brian O'Riordan and Michael O'Shea, owners of ADT House in Dublin 7 since 1993, claim that the property was fraudulently registered as owned by the UK‑based SLGI (Holdings) Plc. They allege that SLGI, through a solicitor acting for the company, obtained a lease from tenant ADT and paid €246,000 to terminate the lease, while the property's legal ownership remained with the O'Riordans. The High Court heard that the Property Registration Authority had recorded a 2016 conveyance from Kent International Holdings to SLGI, a company that had been struck off in 2015. The plaintiffs seek orders restraining SLGI, correcting the registry entries, and declaring the entries fraudulent or mistaken. They also brought proceedings against ADT Ltd, American District Telegraph Services International Ltd, and the Property Registration Authority, but do not allege fraud against those parties. Permission for short notice was granted ex‑parte by Justice Caroline Costello, with the case set for a next‑week hearing.
Gerard Lawlor, 68, of Balrothery, Tallaght, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to 11 counts of fraudulently claiming €167,874 in social welfare payments from 2005 to 2015. The fraud was uncovered when his ex‑wife was audited by Revenue, revealing that Lawlor had claimed pre‑retirement, adult dependence, and jobseeker allowances while not living with his partner and while self‑employed. He also received rent payments for a co‑owned property and sold and purchased properties during the period. Lawlor, a father‑of‑three with no prior convictions, cooperated with Gardaí and entered an early guilty plea. He was sentenced to a wholly suspended three‑year term on 15 June 2017, a decision upheld by the Court of Appeal after the Director of Public Prosecutions appealed for a custodial sentence.
A Dublin businessman has admitted to submitting fraudulent documents to obtain a €71,000 mortgage from Ulster Bank in April 2016. Kevin Molloy, aged 49, of Dublin Road, Celbridge, County Kildare, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to three offences under the Theft and Fraud Acts committed between December 2014 and August 2016. The owner of a debt recovery business had initially applied to Bank of Ireland in late 2014, but that application was declined after officials questioned the authenticity of his documentation. When Molloy subsequently approached Ulster Bank, he provided altered bank statements, a falsified P60 tax document, and wage slips from companies in liquidation. The offences came to light in July 2016 following a Bank of Ireland report to gardaí. Molloy continues to reside in the property with his family and maintains mortgage repayments. Ulster Bank has not pursued charges. Judge Melanie Greally adjourned sentencing to October 2018 and ordered a community service assessment. Molloy was remanded on continuing bail.
A 24‑year‑old Latvian man, Evalds Markos, was jailed for two and a half years after swallowing 52 cocaine pellets, worth just under €36,000, before being caught by customs at Dublin Airport. He pleaded guilty to possessing drugs for sale or supply in the customs hall of Terminal One on 28 October. After his arrest he was taken to Beaumont Hospital where he passed the pellets and was later discharged. Markos admitted he had been told to swallow the pellets by an associate in Amsterdam and that he expected payment of €1,500, though he claimed he had not been paid. He had no prior convictions in Ireland but had a history of theft, fraud and robbery in Latvia and shoplifting and criminal damage in France.