In a High Court hearing on 2 February 2017, Justice Aileen Donnelly ordered the surrender of Naoufal Fassih, a 36‑year‑old Dutch citizen of Moroccan origin, to Dutch authorities under three European Arrest Warrants. Fassih was arrested in Dublin in April 2016 during a Garda swoop on an apartment believed to belong to the Kinahan gang. The warrants cover alleged attempted murder, assault, possession of false documents and money laundering in Ireland, and an alleged money‑laundering offence in the Netherlands. Justice Donnelly rejected all objections raised by Fassih's lawyers, awarded legal costs to the State, and noted that the State was entitled to only one day's worth of costs due to the staggered nature of the proceedings. Fassih made no reaction to the judgment. The court found no grounds to prohibit his surrender on the points raised by his counsel. The decision confirms the extradition of Fassih to the Netherlands for the pending charges.
Jane Fay, 64, of Tallaght, Dublin, was sentenced at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for social welfare fraud. The defendant pleaded guilty to making a fraudulent claim at AIB, Main Street, Tallaght, on April 22, 2010, and admitted to 38 similar charges related to fraudulent claims made between April 2010 and September 2014. The total loss amounted to €34,781. Judge Melanie Greally imposed a three-year sentence, which was suspended in full. The court noted that the majority of the funds have been repaid, with over €22,000 returned by Fay and her family, and ordered the release of frozen funds from a bank account in the name of her late cousin to the Department of Social Protection. Fay had no previous convictions. The judge acknowledged Fay's difficult personal circumstances, including health issues and family tragedies, and accepted that her actions were at odds with her general conduct. The matter was finalised with the imposition of the suspended sentence.
In 2014, Gerard Brown, aged 34, assaulted fellow inmate Stephen Cooper in the Midlands Prison. Cooper, an ex‑garda serving a fraud and perverting the course of justice sentence, was being escorted to the gym when Brown struck him on the head with a mug hidden in a sock. Brown admitted the assault but claimed Cooper had asked him to do it to help orchestrate Cooper's early release on safety grounds, and that Cooper had agreed to provide documents, information and €1,000 in return. Cooper denied any consent or agreement. Brown was convicted by a jury at Portlaoise Circuit Criminal Court and sentenced to three years' imprisonment, consecutive to his existing term. He has appealed the sentence, arguing the judge erred in treating the offence as aggravated because it occurred in prison, and that the consecutive sentencing provisions were a "double loading." The Court of Appeal has reserved judgment on the appeal.
Patricia Sweeney, 60, a primary school cleaner, forged declaration of unemployment forms and used the school stamp to claim €31,700.70 in job seekers allowance she was not entitled to. She worked 12 hours a week on a casual basis, but the school's board had required her to work five days a week, making her ineligible for the allowance. Sweeney claimed she worked the hours over three days and provided forged forms to the Department of Social Protection. She pleaded guilty to 21 counts of theft and forgery covering February 2011 to February 2015. She has no prior convictions, has paid €1,649 back, and is currently on job seekers allowance with weekly deductions of €27.90 until the debt is cleared. The case was adjourned to 22 March, with a probation report to assess suitability for community service.
Giovanni Lanelli, 39, sold a Ford Focus he had bought on hire purchase for €17,000 to a buyer who paid €13,800 at a Dublin hotel. Lanelli did not disclose that the car was still financed and that monthly payments were due. He later claimed he intended to continue paying but could not keep up. A year later the finance company warned the buyer that the car would be repossessed if the balance was not paid. Lanelli promised to obtain a loan to clear the balance but failed to raise the funds. The buyer settled with the finance company, paying over €12,800 to keep the car. Lanelli pleaded guilty to theft and fraud at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on 22 August 2014. He has no prior convictions.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Anna Kavanagh (48) and Christine Byrne (30) were sentenced to community service for fraudulently applying for loans at Provident Personal Credit between August 2009 and January 2011. Kavanagh, employed in a position of responsibility, used other people's names to obtain €49,000, repaying €26,218 before the company discovered the scheme in September 2012, resulting in a €23,500 loss. She pleaded guilty to four counts of making a gain by deception and three counts of forgery. Byrne, also from Crannoge Close, pleaded guilty to six counts of forgery. Both were given three‑year sentences suspended in full and ordered to complete 240 hours of community service. The judge noted their financial difficulties and expressed remorse, and the court considered the defendants unlikely to re‑offend. The case highlighted the use of personal networks to secure high‑interest loans.
In January 2017, Judge Martin Nolan sentenced former Anglo Irish Bank director Willie McAteer to two and a half years' imprisonment for fraudulently securing an €8 million loan in September 2008 to prevent the bank's collapse. McAteer, then director of finance, obtained the loan against his shares and used it to repay a personal loan from Bank of Ireland. The loan was part of a scheme devised by Anglo's board to avoid a sale of shares that could damage confidence. McAteer had already been serving a three and a half year term for a separate €7.2 billion fraud conviction; the new sentence runs concurrently. The judge noted the fraud was motivated by survival pressure and deemed a consecutive sentence unjust. The order commenced on the day of sentencing. The case also involved former director Pat Whelan, fined €3 000 for failing to keep proper records of the loan. The court found no further charges pending against McAteer. Willie McAteer pleaded guilty.
Naila Zaffer, a 38‑year‑old former senior claims official at IPB Insurance, was sentenced to eight months' imprisonment after a Court of Appeal found her earlier two‑and‑a‑half‑year suspended sentence too lenient. Between April 2007 and August 2012, Zaffer defrauded her employer of €220,000 by forging insurance claims, adding an extra claim to policies paid out by IPB. She had pleaded guilty to ten counts of using a false instrument, theft and attempted theft. The original Circuit Court judge noted the money was not recovered and questioned the need for imprisonment. The appellate court, led by Mr Justice Alan Mahon, upheld the headline sentence but suspended all but eight months, citing her cooperation, guilty plea, remorse, lack of prior convictions, psychological vulnerability and efforts to address addiction. She was required to enter a good‑behaviour bond for the suspended period.
In 2011, an inspector at a Dublin NCT centre, Darren Meehan, was caught passing a vehicle that independent mechanics had deemed un-roadworthy. Meehan, 40, pleaded guilty to producing a false National Car Test certificate. He admitted checking three faults during a re-test and passing the car when it should have failed, citing peer pressure. Judge Melanie Greally suspended a two‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence on strict conditions, noting the faults did not pose a safety risk and that Meehan was remorseful. The case highlighted the high responsibility of NCT testers and the broader implications for the community. Meehan was dismissed from his NCT job and later secured new employment. The documentary that exposed the fraud involved a 1996 Toyota Carina that failed its initial test, was paid to pass a re‑test, and was ultimately crushed. The investigation involved Garda officers and legal counsel, with co‑accused awaiting further court action.
Anthonie Van Wilderoden, a 44-year-old Dutch national and businessman, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to ten sample counts of theft from four stores between December 2014 and March 2015. He also admitted possession of a specially modified pram and three stolen gold-plated mirrors. The court heard that Van Wilderoden allegedly ran a professional shoplifting scheme, placing advertisements on the Donedeal website for high-value household goods which he then stole from Arnotts, Curries, Harvey Norman, and Brown Thomas. He used a modified baby's pram to conceal items, including a Nespresso machine, crockery, and a vacuum cleaner. Although he claimed the thefts were driven by heavy debt and personal hardship, he has 19 previous convictions across Ireland, the Netherlands, and Belgium for fraud, forgery, theft, and embezzlement. After entering an early guilty plea, Van Wilderoden fled to Belgium before his sentencing date. He was subsequently arrested under a European Arrest Warrant and returned to Ireland in November 2016. Defence counsel highlighted his history of childhood abuse and financial instability, noting he was "totally incapable of handling money." Counsel stated that Van Wilderoden had purchased a plane ticket to the Netherlands and was willing to promise not to return to Ireland if granted a suspended sentence. The matter is currently at the sentencing stage, with Judge Cormac Quinn scheduled to hand down the sentence.
Willie McAteer, former finance director of Anglo Irish Bank, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to fraudulently obtaining an €8,426,307 loan on 29 September 2008, secured solely on his shares in the bank. He used the money to repay a personal loan from Bank of Ireland. The indictment alleges breach of section 297 of the Companies Act, 1963, for knowingly facilitating a fraudulent loan to himself. Judge Melanie Greally allowed McAteer to remain on bail with prosecution consent and set a sentencing date for 12 January 2017.
Samba Sow, an asylum‑seeker who arrived from Senegal in 2007, used a false identity, Moussa Sow, to work in Ireland and later claim €50,000 in social welfare payments between 2011 and 2014. He obtained a PPS number under the false name, worked in a Dublin pub, paid income tax and PRSI, and was made redundant during the recession. After losing his job, he claimed job seekers' benefit, job seekers' allowance and rent allowance under the false name, totalling €50,006. In 2015, when he was granted permission to remain, he stopped claiming under the false name and made a legitimate claim in his real name. The Department of Social Protection's facial‑recognition system flagged his deception, leading to his arrest. In court, Sow pleaded guilty to 18 counts of stealing social welfare payments. Judge Catherine Murphy imposed a suspended two‑year sentence, noting that Sow never attempted to double‑dip or claim payments under two names.
David McGuinness, aged 27, fraudulently obtained a €99,000 mortgage on his parents' house by presenting a forged payslip and bank statement. The loan was advanced before the fraud was discovered, and the money was handed to a criminal gang to pay his older brother's drug debt. McGuinness did not profit personally. He pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to obtaining a mortgage by deception and using false instruments. With 21 prior convictions, Judge Melanie Greally described the operation as "relatively sophisticated" and noted the documentation appeared legitimate. She imposed a two‑year sentence, suspended in full, and ordered 240 hours of community service within one year. The court heard the mortgage was being paid and the bank was not at a loss. The case highlighted the bank's reliance on false information and the family's hardship due to the brother's drug addiction.
A 34‑year‑old man from Clare, Raymond Kilmartin, voluntarily surrendered himself to British authorities after being sought on a European Arrest Warrant for allegedly defrauding a Bristol school of about £10,000 while employed as a finance officer in 2013. Kilmartin was arrested in Ennis on 31 October 2016, following a warrant issued by a Circuit judge at Bristol Crown Court on 25 July 2016. In the High Court, his counsel, Mr Conor McKenna BL, confirmed that Kilmartin consented to the surrender. The court noted the charge carries a maximum sentence of seven years' imprisonment. Justice Aileen Donnelly ordered that Kilmartin be handed over to the UK, where he will be taken to Cloverhill Prison and then transferred to the UK for prosecution. The case remains at the extradition stage, with no trial or conviction yet reported.
James Maughan, 38, was sentenced to three years in jail with the final two years suspended after a repeat social welfare fraud conviction. He had previously claimed disability benefit in his own name and then fraudulently applied for Jobseeker's Allowance under the false name 'Terence Maughan', stealing €438. Facial‑recognition software used by Department of Social Protection staff linked his public services card photo to his true identity. Maughan had 11 prior social welfare fraud convictions dating back to 2013 and a total of 55 convictions overall, most theft‑related. He pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, was remanded in custody since November 1, and had attended rehabilitation at Cuan Mhuire in August before leaving in September. Judge Melanie Greally noted his drug‑free status, work while remanded, and repayment of the debt to the State, and imposed the suspended sentence. The case was heard at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
A 34-year-old Mauritian man has been sentenced to two months in custody at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court following his guilty plea to three counts of deception. Resen Modeley facilitated marriages of convenience between Irish residents and European Union nationals, charging €7,000 per arrangement. He admitted to securing false employment letters submitted with three separate intention-to-marry applications filed with civil registrars in Monaghan, Dublin, and Naas in May 2015. Judge Pauline Codd suspended the remainder of a two-year sentence on condition that Modeley depart Ireland upon release and remain outside the country for five years. A deportation order was granted. The investigation, initiated following the discovery of the bogus marriages, led gardaí to arrest Modeley at his home in November 2015. He cooperated during questioning and was assessed as having no entitlement to remain in the jurisdiction.
Businessmen Michael and John O'Flynn, along with O'Flynn Construction Ltd, have sued NAMA, NALM, and former employee Enda Farrell for damages over an alleged leak of confidential information. The Co Cork-based plaintiffs claim that the unlawful dissemination of commercially sensitive data materially impacted asset disposal prices between 2010 and 2014. They seek damages for breach of confidence, statutory duty, and misfeasance in public office, alongside orders compelling the defendants to produce documentation regarding the leak and identifying recipients. The plaintiffs state they cannot quantify their claim until further investigations are conducted, requiring discovery of specific documents from the defendants. NAMA has indicated it is seeking guidance from the Garda Bureau of Fraud Investigation before providing these materials. In a related criminal matter, Enda Farrell, who resides in Belgium, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Court last May to eight counts of unlawfully disclosing information and received a two-year suspended sentence. The civil proceedings were briefly mentioned before Mr Justice Brian McGovern at the Commercial Court on Monday. The judge agreed to adjourn the matter for one week, questioning whether the action is appropriate for the fast-track commercial court list. He directed the lawyers to consider this issue before the case returns to court next week.
Jonathan McLoughlin, 34, of Sheephill Park, Blanchardstown, pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting deception in an Electric Picnic ticket scam. The court noted he was vulnerable, had a learning disability, and was exploited because he had a bank account. He withdrew €1,845 from his account, which was later distributed to the victims. The scam involved advertising tickets on Donedeal and an unknown man contacting buyers, with McLoughlin's account used for transfers. A total of €2,630 was deposited, much of which was withdrawn via ATMs. Gardaí stopped the account after the victims reported it. McLoughlin was not the orchestrator; the court imposed probation, stressing he was taken advantage of. No other person has been charged.
Jane Fay, 64, of Bawnlea Avenue, Tallaght, was found to have fraudulently claimed over €30,000 in social welfare benefits in the name of her late cousin, Teresa Royal. The fraud was uncovered in 2015 when a facial‑recognition check matched Fay's photo to a claim under Royal's name. Fay had stopped the fraudulent claims in September 2014 and has since repaid €22,000 to the Department of Social Protection, with an additional €11,534 remaining in a frozen bank account, leaving a balance of €747 outstanding. She pleaded guilty to 38 charges covering claims from April 2010 to September 2014, totalling €34,781 in losses. Fay has no prior convictions and has cooperated fully with Gardaí, providing admissions and testimonials from community members, friends and family. The court adjourned sentencing to February 2 to allow the balance of compensation to be gathered and to review the large number of testimonials.
Michael Cawley, 44, of Swords, was sentenced to four years' imprisonment with two years suspended, meaning a two‑year custodial term, for attempted theft and criminal damage. The offence occurred on 26 March 2015 when he followed a man, Alan O'Neill, who had just cashed a €2,100 cheque at Bank of Ireland. Cawley entered the bank, joined the queue behind O'Neill, and after the cheque was cashed he followed O'Neill to his car. CCTV and a witness photo showed Cawley smashing the front passenger window and reaching into the vehicle, though he took no money. He pleaded guilty; the judge noted his 153 prior convictions, 120 of which were thefts linked to social welfare fraud, and his serious alcohol problem. He was also the sole provider for his wife, who receives a disability allowance. The court accepted a €100 payment as an expression of remorse for the damage.
Bernadette Warnock, former director of the Hepatitis C charity Positive Action Ltd, was jailed for two years after pleading guilty to 71 counts of theft and fraud between 2009 and 2011, stealing €116,226 from the organisation. The charity, founded in 1994 to support women who contracted Hepatitis C through contaminated blood products, had 730 members and received most of its funding from the Health Service Executive (HSE). Warnock, aged 63, had previously been convicted of forging cheques in 1990. The court awarded €63,500 in compensation to the HSE, directing the money to the HSE's division that supports hepatitis C services. Judge Melanie Greally adjourned the sentence to allow Warnock to attend a medical appointment, and the final sentence was a three‑year term with the last 12 months suspended. The case highlighted the breach of trust and the impact on the charity's reputation.
A 34‑year‑old Clare man, Raymond Kilmartin, was brought before the High Court in Dublin after the UK requested his extradition on fraud charges. The UK alleges he defrauded a Bristol school of about £10,000 while working as a finance officer in 2013. Kilmartin was arrested in Ennis under a European Arrest Warrant and accepted the extradition request. Justice Aileen Donnelly, after informing him of his rights, ordered his remand in custody until 14 November.
Naila Zaffer, 38, a former senior insurance claims official, was found guilty of defrauding her employer, IPB Insurance, of €220,000 over six years. She pleaded guilty to ten counts of using a false instrument, theft and attempted theft between April 2007 and August 2012. In May 2015, Judge Terence O'Sullivan imposed a wholly suspended two‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence. The Court of Appeal, hearing an application from the Director of Public Prosecutions, ruled that the sentence was "unduly lenient" and ordered a fresh hearing in December. The appeal judge noted that Zaffer had no prior convictions, had lost her job, and that the fraud was pre‑meditated and prolonged. The case was remitted for the probation service to prepare reports before the new sentencing hearing.
Marie McMahon, 68, a former women's rights campaigner, admitted to fraudulently claiming over €100,000 in social welfare payments by using her sister Katherine's card. After Katherine emigrated in 1992, a friend initially collected the benefits, and McMahon later continued the scheme, splitting the money. The fraud spanned from 2002 to 2014, with a total of €101,538.80 stolen. McMahon was detected in July 2014 through facial recognition technology, which confirmed she was not Katherine. She pleaded guilty to 13 charges at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Judge Melanie Greally imposed a five‑year sentence, suspended in full on the condition that McMahon complete 240 hours of community service and pay €15 per week to the Department of Social Protection. No jail time was imposed.
Niall Barron, a 44‑year‑old former Vodafone Ireland executive, was sentenced to three years' imprisonment for a fraud scheme that deprived the company of about €1.95 million. Between 2003 and 2007, while serving as head of corporate financial services and fraud prevention, Barron used his authority to approve purchase orders and invoices for a company he owned, Tel‑Q Ltd, registered in Vanuatu. He ordered services that were never performed and paid invoices for work that did not occur. The court described the thefts as a sophisticated, pre‑meditated breach of trust. Barron pleaded guilty to sample charges under the Theft and Fraud Act. Co‑accused Elaine and David McGovern received suspended sentences and a nine‑month term, respectively, for lesser roles in the same fraud scheme. The case remains an ongoing civil matter for Vodafone.
Bernadette Warnock, 63, a former director of Positive Action Ltd, a charity that supported women who contracted Hepatitis C from contaminated blood products, was found guilty of 71 counts of theft and fraud between 2009 and 2011, stealing €116,226 from the organisation. The charity, which had 730 members and received most of its funding from the HSE, was closed in 2014 after an audit. Warnock, who herself contracted Hepatitis C at 24, pleaded guilty. The court heard she had previously forged cheques in 1990 and had been removed from the finance committee in 2011 after suspicions arose. She had hidden cheque stubs and forged the second director's signature to write cheques to herself. At sentencing, Judge Melanie Greally imposed a three‑year sentence, suspended the final 12 months, and left the decision on the allocation of the remaining €52,000 to the next hearing.
John Joe Synnott, aged 61, a former Garda, was convicted of deception and corruption for staging a non‑existent road traffic accident on 9 September 2007. He had reported an Audi A4 colliding with a parked Subaru Imprezza, creating a PULSE incident report and a Traffic Accident Preliminary Report, and paid out €23,352 to the drivers, Beverley Redmond and Lorraine Quinlan, through AXA Insurance. The prosecution argued that Synnott deliberately assisted the drivers and Joe Redmond, a friend and known criminal, in fraud. He was found guilty on all counts and sentenced to three years' imprisonment, with the final two years suspended. Synnott appealed on grounds relating to the judge's jury instructions, but the Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal. He remains in custody on an undisclosed matter and is no longer a serving Garda. John Joe Synnott pleaded not guilty.
A bench warrant was issued after James Maughan, 38, failed to appear for sentencing. Maughan had previously been caught using facial‑recognition software in July 2015 when he applied for Jobseeker's Allowance under the false name "Terence Maughan." He had already been claiming disability benefit in his own name and had stolen €438 in Jobseeker's Allowance. He had 11 prior convictions for social welfare fraud dating back to 2013, the most recent of which carried a six‑month sentence. Maughan pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, admitting he induced another to submit a false application and stole the allowance. Sentencing had been adjourned to allow him to attend rehabilitation at Cuan Mhuire, where he attended in August but left in September. The court noted no communication had been received from Cuan Mhuire and issued the bench warrant, requesting a representative from the centre to explain why the notification requirements were not met.
Three former banking executives – John Bowe (52), Willie McAteer (65) and Denis Casey (56) – were jailed for conspiring to create a €7.2 billion market deception scheme. The scheme involved sham deposits made in September 2008 to make Anglo Irish Bank's books appear healthier. Judge Martin Nolan described the scheme as "deceitful, dishonest and corrupt" and said it undermined public trust in blue‑chip companies. Bowe received a two‑year sentence, McAteer three and a half years, and Casey two years and nine months. The judge noted that the executives had acted with knowledge of the scheme's illegality and that the scheme had no net benefit to the State or the banks. The trial was the longest criminal case in Irish history, with a jury deliberating 65 hours before convicting the three. The judge highlighted the role of Anglo's former CEO, David Drumm, and the auditors Ernst & Young in the scheme. Denis Casey pleaded not guilty and was convicted.
Eamon Shield, 45, of Lucan, was found guilty by a jury of 25 counts of theft and deception after a two‑week trial in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. He ran a pyramid scheme from June 2011 to February 2012, promising investors a 100 per cent profit within 60 days by buying repossessed cars and flipping them. Shield advertised in national newspapers and received between €3,000 and €70,000 from 12 investors. He returned €32,000 to the investor who paid €70,000, but all 12 investors were left out of pocket. Shield had a prior deception conviction in 2005 and 23 road traffic and two public order convictions. Judge Patricia Ryan sentenced him to four years' imprisonment, ordering €20,000 in his account to be divided among the victims.
David Marsh, 29, an IT worker, was jailed for two years after defrauding a Limerick couple of €76,000 by promising to secure them a cheap house. He used the money to buy an Audi, a rugby tour and a holiday to New York. Marsh also stole €7,785 from tag‑rugby teammates and colleagues by claiming he could obtain tickets to a Conor McGregor UFC fight. He pleaded guilty to the house fraud and 12 counts of dishonestly inducing others to give him money. Judge John Aylmer imposed a two‑year term for the house fraud and six months for the other charges, all to run concurrently. Marsh admitted his actions, apologized, and expressed a desire to reform, but no compensation was offered to the victims. The Audi seized by Gardaí was valued at €15,000‑€18,000. No money was recovered.
Naoufal Fassih, a 36‑year‑old Dutch national of Moroccan origin, was arrested in April during a raid on a luxury apartment on Baggot Street that Gardaí believed was linked to the Kinahan criminal gang. He appeared before the High Court on a European Arrest Warrant (EAW) seeking his surrender to the Netherlands, where he faces charges of money laundering, assault and possession of false documentation. The court confirmed that the man in attendance was the same individual named in the new EAW and remanded him in custody until 27 July. In April, at Dublin District Court, Fassih was charged with possessing a false passport and identity card, an offence under the Immigration Act and a minor drugs charge for simple possession of cannabis. He had previously pleaded guilty to possessing a false passport and cannabis at Cloverhill District Court.
The High Court has adjudicated Breifne O'Brien as a bankrupt following an application made to Ms Justice Caroline Costello. O'Brien, who is currently serving a seven-year prison sentence, had previously pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to 14 sample counts of making a gain or causing a loss by deception or theft of approximately €8.5 million between 2003 and 2008. He was sentenced to seven years' imprisonment by Judge Patricia Ryan on October 8, 2014, for inducing others to invest in bogus property deals and a linen shipping insurance scheme, described as a pyramid scheme. His subsequent appeal against the length of that term was dismissed by the Court of Appeal last December. In the current High Court proceedings, O'Brien's counsel stated that he was seeking bankruptcy on his own petition. The court noted that O'Brien owes approximately €25 million in secured debt and €13.7 million in unsecured debt. Ms Justice Costello adjudicated him bankrupt, ruling that no additional statement of affairs was required. However, she ordered that the adjudication be advertised on the Insolvency Service of Ireland's website and in Iris Oifigiúil. O'Brien's solicitor will liaise with the Official Assignee, Mr Chris Lehane, regarding the process.
Patrick Chambers, a 65‑year‑old Dubliner from Foxrock, pleaded guilty in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to four counts of claiming VAT refunds he was not entitled to between July 2009 and March 2010, and to producing an incorrect VAT invoice in July 2012. The fraud cost the exchequer €35,780. Chambers had taken a loan of over one million euros to develop a second property on the grounds of his family home, but the collapse of the property market in 2008 left him in "dire financial circumstances." He claimed the loan was to cover costs after his divorce and to repay debts. Judge Melanie Greally found the offence driven by financial desperation, not opportunism, and sentenced Chambers to 12 months in prison, suspended in full on the condition that he pay €7,000 per year to Revenue for five years.
Evidence is still being presented in the trial of Eamon Shield, 45, who is accused of running a fake motor business to defraud 12 people out of €178,000. Prosecutor Shane Costelloe SC told the jury that Shield fabricated the business and that no legitimate operation existed. Shield, of Weston Meadows, has pleaded not guilty to 15 theft counts and 12 deception counts covering June 2011 to February 2012. On the fifth day, several alleged victims gave further testimony about meeting Shield and investing in his scheme. The trial continues before Judge Patricia Ryan and a jury.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court trial, two Kerry men testified that Eamon Shield, 45, had promised them a 100% return on their investments within 60 days by flipping repossessed cars at a significant markup. The prosecution, led by Shane Costelloe SC, described Shield's scheme as a pyramid scheme, arguing that he merely attracted new investors to pay off earlier ones. Shield, who pleaded not guilty to 15 theft counts and 12 deception counts, allegedly stole €178,000 from 12 people between June 2011 and February 2012. The trial, which began on Monday, was delayed due to a juror issue and will continue before Judge Patricia Ryan and a new jury. The case is expected to run for two weeks. The defendants, David O'Grady and Malcolm Griffin, each invested €3,000, received only partial payments, and later complained to Gardaí in Listowel. The court has not yet delivered a verdict.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court trial, Eamon Shield, aged 45, faced 15 theft counts and 12 deception counts for allegedly running a pyramid scheme that claimed to double investors' money by selling repossessed cars. Shield, from Lucan, was accused of soliciting €178,000 from 12 people, promising a two‑month profit, but no cars existed and no business was carried out. Prosecutor Shane Costelloe argued that Shield took money from one investor and redistributed it to others, offering a partial repayment of €55,000 while the remaining investors received nothing. Shield pleaded not guilty. The trial, set to continue before Judge Patricia Ryan and a jury, was expected to last two weeks. The case highlighted Shield's alleged deception and the absence of any legitimate vehicle sales.
Patrick Moran, a 40‑year‑old financial controller from Knocklyon, was jailed for stealing €281,000 from Deutsche Bank by using his company credit card without authorisation, falsifying documents and submitting false records to AIB to raise the card limit. He pleaded guilty to charges of stealing cash, falsifying documents and using a false instrument between November 2011 and January 2013. In July 2015 he received a three‑year prison sentence from Judge Martin Nolan. On appeal, Justice Alan Mahon re‑sentenced him to three years imprisonment with the final 12 months suspended, citing his first‑time offender status, lack of prior convictions, and evidence of rehabilitation. Moran admitted the fraud, diverted funds to a PayPal account and ultimately to his own account, causing a loss of about €281,000. The Court of Appeal also required him to enter a good‑behaviour bond. The civil judgment and costs remain against him.
Breifne O'Brien, 54, was jailed for inducing others to invest millions in bogus property deals. He pleaded guilty to 14 counts of deception or theft, amounting to about €8.5 million between 2003 and 2008, and was sentenced to seven years' imprisonment by Judge Patricia Ryan on 8 October 2014. His appeal against the sentence was dismissed by the Court of Appeal in December, which upheld the seven‑year term as appropriate. During case‑management proceedings today, his counsel, Barry Murphy BL, sought legal aid to apply to the Supreme Court for leave to appeal the unsuccessful appeal. The Supreme Court application was lodged on 25 May 2016. The case is scheduled for mention on 22 July, when a panel of three judges will hear the matter. No further procedural developments were reported.
Marie McMahon, 68, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to 13 charges of stealing social welfare payments from James's Street Post Office between September 1, 2002, and June 11, 2014. The prosecution alleged that McMahon fraudulently claimed benefits using her sister's card, resulting in a total loss of €101,538.80. Although the Director of Public Prosecutions accepted the pleas as sample counts, the court noted the fraud spanned over a decade. Defending counsel Lorcan Staines BL highlighted that friends had gathered €6,000 towards repayment and that McMahon's benefits would be reduced by €15 per week. He also cited her age, medical difficulties, and previous involvement in women's rights protests. Judge Melanie Greally, who had previously adjourned the matter to consider testimonials and a probation report, stated that McMahon appeared to have useful skills and that community service warranted investigation. However, the judge noted potential medical unfitness. Consequently, the case was adjourned to October to allow the probation service to assess her suitability for community service. The matter was not concluded at this hearing.
Mary Cullen, an 82-year-old woman from Portland Row, Dublin, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to 30 sample counts of falsely claiming social welfare, using false instruments, and possession of false instruments between 1987 and 2015. The charges relate to her claiming over €206,000 in social welfare payments using the identity of her partner's deceased wife, Mary Rose Hart. Judge Martin Nolan imposed a three-year suspended sentence. The judge noted that while the offence was reprehensible, he could not in good conscience jail an 82-year-old, stating that if Cullen were 20 years younger, she would likely face prison. He also remarked that he did not believe the Court of Appeal would overturn the suspended sentence if the Director of Public Prosecutions appealed it as too lenient. Cullen's defence counsel, Luigi Rea BL, cited her hard life and work history in mitigation. Garda Enda Connolly testified that he was asked to investigate suspicions of identity fraud and observed Cullen claiming payments under both her own name and the deceased's name. Cullen admitted to using the false identity at her partner's suggestion and stated she gave the extra money to him and later to a relative. The Department of Social Protection has since reduced her pension payments by €35 a week.
Agata Pracz, 39, of Swords, Co Dublin, pleaded guilty to dishonestly inducing Yumi Takekoshi, a 58‑year‑old Tokyo woman, to hand over €8,990 on 15 July 2014 by promising access to a container of cash worth €6.8 million. Pracz, posing as a UN diplomat named Sandra Daly, met Takekoshi at Dublin Airport, took the money at a bar, and promised further details of the container. Takekoshi became suspicious, took a taxi to the Japanese embassy, and alerted Gardaí. Pracz was arrested on the M1 motorway after CCTV footage identified her car. Gardaí found just over €4,000 and a heavily encrypted laptop at her home. She had no prior convictions in Ireland but had three fraud convictions in Poland. Judge Patrick McCartan, after hearing the evidence, sentenced her to a suspended three‑year term, noting she had fully repaid the money and expressing reservations about her account of events.
Noel Smith otherwise Smyth, 53, of Manomolin, Gorey, was convicted of harassment, making an unwarranted demand with menaces and money laundering between April and June 2009. He pleaded not guilty at Wicklow Circuit Criminal Court, was found guilty by a jury and sentenced to nine years' imprisonment, with the final three years suspended by Judge Gerard Giffin on 7 April 2014. The prosecution argued that a named individual received drugs from Smith about fifteen times and was pressured by Smith to pay for them; the individual had gone to his mother for money in summer 2008 and entered rehab in March 2009. Smith's appeal was dismissed by the Court of Appeal, which found the trial satisfactory and the conviction safe. The appeal was rejected on grounds including telephone records, search warrants and the alleged hoax bomb device found under a mother‑of‑three's car in June 2009.
Agata Pracz, 39, of Swords, pleaded guilty to dishonestly inducing Yumi Takekoshi, a 58‑year‑old Tokyo woman, to hand over €8,990 on 15 July 2014. Pracz, posing as a UN diplomat named Sandra Daly, contacted Takekoshi via LinkedIn, claiming a container of cash worth €6.8 million was at a bonded warehouse in Dublin and that she would give Takekoshi access for €8,990. Takekoshi flew to Dublin, met Pracz at the airport bar, and handed over the money. Pracz then claimed she would call with details of the container. Takekoshi became suspicious, took a taxi to the Japanese embassy, and the embassy contacted Gardaí. Pracz was arrested on the M1 motorway after CCTV footage identified her car. Gardaí recovered just over €4,000 and a heavily encrypted laptop from her home. She has no prior convictions in Ireland but has three fraud‑related convictions in Poland.
James Maughan, 38, was identified by facial‑recognition software after a photo was taken for a public services card. He had been claiming disability benefit under his own name and had also fraudulently claimed €438 of Jobseeker's Allowance in July 2015 using the false name "Terence Maughan." The Department of Social Protection discovered the deception and the case was brought to the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Maughan pleaded guilty to inducing another to submit a false application and to stealing the allowance. He has 11 prior social‑welfare fraud convictions from 2013, for which he received a six‑month sentence. At the last hearing, evidence was presented that €689 of the €1,674 repayment due for the 2013 fraud remained outstanding. The judge adjourned the sentencing to 15 June to allow further investigation of the repayment issue. The case remains pending, with no final sentence yet imposed.
Judge Martin Nolan addressed a jury in the longest-running Irish trial, stating that four former Anglo Irish Bank and Irish Life & Permanent executives—Peter Fitzpatrick (63), Denis Casey (56), John Bowe (52) and Willie McAteer (65)—are entitled to a fair hearing and that prejudice must be avoided. The defendants are charged with conspiring to mislead investors by arranging a €7.2 billion circular transaction between March 1 and September 30, 2008 to strengthen Anglo's balance sheet. At the end of day 74, Nolan began his charge, emphasizing the need for impartiality. Defenders Brendan Grehan SC and Michael O'Higgin SC argued that the prosecution failed to prove intent or personal gain, citing the absence of evidence of fraud or stolen funds and the lack of a "smoking gun." They contended that the defendants were unaware of any wrongdoing and that the alleged scheme was a misguided attempt to support Anglo during a period of financial distress. The unnamed accused pleaded not guilty. Peter Fitzpatrick pleaded not guilty. Denis Casey pleaded not guilty. John Bowe pleaded not guilty. Willie McAteer pleaded not guilty.
Stephen Cheung, a 39‑year‑old chartered accountant, was sentenced to two years in prison after pleading guilty to 18 theft offences. Between 2009 and 2013 he stole €454,309 from nearly 20 former clients, acting as their liquidator. Cheung, who had a gambling addiction that began in 2004, turned himself in to Gardaí in January 2014 after feeling pressured and suicidal. He has four young sons and a stepdaughter, and his partner's low‑paid payroll job left the family financially strained. Cheung cooperated fully with the Garda Bureau of Fraud Investigation and had no prior convictions. He had been attending Gambler Anonymous meetings and giving talks on addiction. Judge Patrick McCartan noted Cheung's courage in reporting the thefts but imposed the sentence because the thefts caused significant loss to the beneficiaries.
Naila Zaffer, 38, a former senior claims manager, was given a two‑and‑a‑half‑year suspended sentence after pleading guilty to ten charges of forgery, using a false instrument and theft from IPB Insurance between April 2007 and August 2012. She stole €221,685 in 18 transactions by forging documents, adding fictitious claimants, and directing cheques to accounts she controlled. The fraud was uncovered when a colleague noticed anomalies, leading to an internal investigation, her suspension and eventual dismissal in February 2014. Zaffer claimed the theft was driven by a "physical compulsion" to pay a spiralling drug debt, admitting she spent about €250 a day on cocaine. She has no prior convictions, is currently on social welfare, and the judge suspended the sentence on the condition she attend residential treatment and remain under probation supervision for the full period.
James Maughan, 38, was caught after facial‑recognition software matched his photo taken for a public services card to his true identity. He had already been claiming disability benefit in his own name and then fraudulently applied for Jobseekers Allowance under the false name "Terence Maughan", stealing €438 and an emergency payment of €100 in July 2015. The Department of Social Protection investigators discovered the deception when staff ran the image through facial‑recognition software. Maughan has 11 prior social welfare fraud convictions dating back to 2013 and a total of 55 convictions, most of them theft‑related. He pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, and the case was adjourned to next month to await urine‑analysis results. A plea in mitigation will be presented by his defence lawyer on 26 May. The sentencing is scheduled for next month.
The High Court has adjourned several prisoner applications pending clarification of orders following Mr Justice Michael Moriarty's judgment declaring provisions of Section 99 of the Criminal Justice Act 2006 unconstitutional. Mr Justice Seamus Noonan adjourned an Article 40 challenge by an unnamed man who pleaded guilty to road traffic offences, receiving a five-month sentence and a 30-year driving ban. This man, originally sentenced in 2010 to eight years for robbery and firearms charges with seven suspended, had his suspension activated in November 2014. The State argued he is validly detained as he did not appeal the road traffic convictions. In a separate case, Mr Justice Noonan adjourned a judicial review challenge by another unnamed man who pleaded guilty to offences under the Criminal Justice (Theft and Fraud Offences) Act. His 11-month suspended sentence, part of a two-year term for drug offences, was revoked by the District Court on April 14th last, resulting in his jailing. He remains in custody pending his appeal due to inability to provide bail lodgement. A third prisoner's Article 40 application was also adjourned. These delays await final orders from Mr Justice Moriarty, originally due May 5th, which will now be addressed next Wednesday to clarify the scope of the unconstitutionality ruling.