Man allegedly extorted over €23k from schoolmate after ‘Mr Flashy’ warning and threats to ‘burn house’

Daniel Byrne (25) is accused of demanding the money with menaces from the man who allegedly got messages including a reference to “Mr Flashy”, a gun emoji and a threat to “burn your house”.

It is alleged the man handed €15,000 over to Mr Byrne in person and transferred the rest to a Revolut account over eight days until his savings were gone. When he changed his number, Mr Byrne found him on LinkedIn and went to his workplace to demand more money, gardaí said.

Judge Monika Leech refused bail and remanded Mr Byrne in custody, for DPP directions.

Detective Garda Damien Kildea said he arrested the accused at a rented apartment at Pike Inn, Camolin, Gorey, Co Wexford, and took him to Fitzgibbon Street garda station, Dublin, where he made no reply when charged.

Objecting to bail, the garda said the alleged victim made a complaint that he paid €23,500 to Mr Byrne under duress at various locations between April 2 and 10 this year. He said he was contacted via Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp by Mr Byrne who he personally knew, having attended the same secondary school in north Dublin.

The man alleged the accused made demands for money and was told if he failed to pay “he and his family would be targeted with acts of violence”.

He said he met the accused on four dates and handed a total of €15,000 over to him – €2,000 at McDonald’s, O’Connell Street Upper, Dublin; €5,000 at another Dublin 1 location; €6,000 at Dundrum Shopping Centre and €2,000 at Mellowes Road, Finglas.

CCTV from McDonald’s showed the accused meeting the complainant and leaving, “putting something into his right jacket pocket”, Dublin District Court heard.

After the in-person cash payments, the alleged victim said he transferred €8,500 over four days to a Revolut account which the prosecution said was linked to the accused’s phone number and in his name.

Screenshots of messages allegedly sent to the man’s phone had threats including: “Look, my boss said 10 grand or he wants to go to your family and cause trouble and get 100 grand.”

Other messages stated, “it’s Mr Flashy… what do you think we are, thicks?”, “we were outside your house last night,” and “get eight grand or we will burn your house”. One WhatsApp message had a gun emoji, the garda continued.

When the man ran out of funds, it was alleged, more demands for money were made and he changed his contact number.

The accused allegedly then accosted him at his workplace on June 10 this year.

“Further threats were made against him and his family’s well-being if he did not pay a sum of €5,000,” Det Gda Kildea said.

It was alleged the accused produced a phone with a picture of the man’s brother’s Facebook profile. The alleged victim’s father was also allegedly contacted by someone who said “his son owed an awful lot of money”.

CCTV from a Dublin Bus allegedly showed the accused following the man on board.

Five mobile phones had been seized from Mr Byrne’s apartment, including the number used to set up the Revolut account.

Applying for bail, defence barrister Luke O’Higgins said no witnesses or CCTV evidence had been produced in court. It was possible that someone else could have used Mr Byrne’s details to set up a Revolut account, he said.

The phones seized had not been examined yet and there was no evidence the alleged threatening messages had come from Mr Byrne. Det Gda Kildea agreed. Mr Byrne’s brother could offer €1,000 for bail and the accused could stay with his uncle in Clongriffin.

Judge Leech said the accused was presumed innocent but the proposed evidence was compelling and there was an alleged “clear money trail” from the complainant to the accused. She refused bail and remanded the accused to Cloverhill District Court on June 26.