Cork woman Catherine O’Brien appears in court on deception charges

The court heard Ms O’Brien, of 28 An Grianan, Ballinroad, Dungarvan, Co Waterford, was advised of the nature of the charges against her, which could lead to up to five years in jail.

Alleged deception

She is accused of using deception to induce a Michael Culhane to transfer €4,982 into a bank account she controlled. She is also accused to inducing him to put a further €2,526 into a bank account.

The other charges relate to a French horse called Lingerville, with a John Blake being “dishonestly by deception” being induced to pay €1,000 insurance for the mare, €20,000 for the purchase of the animal and €984 for the transport of Lingerville from France to Ireland. 

Garda’s evidence

Detective Garda Joe Wyse, of Dungarvan Garda Station, Waterford, told the court that when the 46-year-old was formally charged with three alleged offences on Saturday at the station, she made no reply.

He said that, the following day, she also made no reply when she was charged with two more alleged offences.

After the 20-minute hearing, during which she was represented by barrister Michael Daly, she was remanded on consent to bail.

She has two days to comply with a series of conditions set by the judge before she can be bailed.

Bail conditions

These include providing an independent surety of €5,000, the surrender of her passport and other travel documents and having to stay at an agreed address.

She cannot move to another address without seeking written permission from gardaí who have to agree to any move. She also has to provide the number of a mobile phone that must be switched on at all times.

Ms O’Brien, who the judge accepted is “a flight risk”, also has to sign on at a garda station every day when she is released.

Bail hearing set for Tuesday

A bail hearing was set for Tuesday, June 4, at Dungarvan District Court where she will appear via video link.

Earlier, the court was told of the extent to which gardaí had been trying to contact her.

Inspector Denis Murphy, of Tramore Garda Station, Co Waterford, said a “massive amount of garda time and resources” had been put into the investigation into Ms O’Brien. He said: 

It is inconceivable that she was not aware we were looking for her.

Mr Daly disputed allegations that she had tried to evade arrest, saying she had, for example, only avoided attending her mother’s funeral because she was worried it would cause “adverse publicity”.

That was why Ms O’Brien’s family had not wanted her there, Mr Daly said.

However, the court heard gardaí attended the funeral, and the judge said it was clear that “her family did not want her to show up because she was going to be arrested”.