Latest news with #Lingreville
Irish Examiner
4 days ago
- Irish Examiner
From Dubai deals to a Limerick cell: How the law caught up with Catherine O'Brien
It's a long way from having business dealings in France and Dubai to the overcrowded Limerick female prison but that's where fraudster Catherine O'Brien finds herself this weekend. After a trial that heard of connections to the Aga Khan, meetings through dating websites, a gallop across Ireland and Europe's horse racing scene, and allegations of fake names being used, the Buttevant woman is now in custody in Ireland's most overcrowded prison, awaiting sentence for deceiving a man she met on a dating website. It was alleged that she 'dishonestly by deception' induced the man, John Blake, to pay €20,000 to purchase a horse called Lingreville — which the State alleged was not purchased; to pay €1,100 insurance for the mare — which the State said was not paid; and €984 to transport the horse from France to Ireland — which the State said was not transported. Ms O'Brien, who now has an address at An Grianan, Ballinroad, Dungarvan, Co Waterford, had pleaded not guilty to the three charges of making gain or causing loss by deception contrary to Section 6 of the Criminal Justice (Theft and Fraud Offences) Act 2001. Catherine O'Brien is in a cell in Limerick awaiting her sentence. Picture: Dan Linehan Before reaching their guilty verdict within 40 minutes on Wednesday at Waterford circuit court, the jury of five men and seven women heard during the trial how she and Mr Blake first met through dating website Plenty of Fish, after which she convinced him to invest €20,000 in a thoroughbred stallion called Shakeel. The court heard that Ms O'Brien and business associate John Walsh of Bishopstown Stud in Lismore, Co Waterford, purchased Shakeel from the Aga Khan. Two breeding rights in Shakeel were then sold to Mr Blake at €7,000 each, while he also invested €20,000 in the horse. It was claimed Ms O'Brien told him he could make huge profits by investing in a brood mare to be covered by Shakeel, and he paid €20,000 for a mare he believed was called Lingreville. This, the court heard, was after he was advised by Ms O'Brien that the purchase would help offset tax implications arising from earnings from Shakeel. Reams of text messages between the two over 2018 and 2019 were read out during the trial, with references to Ms O'Brien having business dealings in Dubai and France. However, the pair's correspondence ended in September 2019, when Mr Blake learned that the horse he thought he had purchased, Lingreville, had not been brought to Ireland from France. It was the State's case that the mare was not purchased, insurance was not paid and the money paid for transport of Lingreville was instead used to pay an outstanding bill owed for the collection and transport of horses from one location to another within Ireland. Deferred meeting The court heard that while Mr Blake had made several attempts to meet with Ms O'Brien in the months before September 2019, and to see Lingreville and the foal he believed she had produced by Shakeel, a raft of excuses were provided by Ms O'Brien. These included the death of a friend in Spain, and health issues including broken ribs, a virus contracted from foals, back problems and recurring shingles. Her mother was gravely ill, she told Mr Blake. She also said she herself needed surgery on her nose and also needed dental treatment. 'I've never had so much bad luck and I don't know why,' she told him. Ironically, Mr Blake had endured much more bad luck, having suffered a stroke. And when he appeared as a prosecution witness at the start of the trial, he had received a stage 4 cancer diagnosis. Catherine O'Brien (pictured) had named her 'friend and barrister' Michael Egan as the owner of Shakeel, because, she said, 'nobody would take a woman seriously' in the horse industry. Picture: Dan Linehan The trial heard that in October 2021, after Ms O'Brien had been charged with fraud relating to Mr Blake and the purchase of the mare Lingreville, Mr Blake received payment of €22,000 and signed a settlement for the money with John Walsh and Catherine O'Brien. The document stated it was for a brood mare named Shamalana, who had been incorrectly named as Lingreville, and for breeding rights to the stallion Shakeel. While there was no record of Shakeel having covered Lingreville, there was a record of him covering a mare called Shamalana. In messages between Ms O'Brien and Mr Blake, the accused had named her "friend and barrister" Michael Egan as the owner of Shakeel, because, she said, "nobody would take a woman seriously" in the horse industry. However, in court during cross-examination, Ms O'Brien said the owner was Mr Walsh, a racing entity called Classic Thoroughbreds and a company called Eclipse Penumbra Holdings Ltd. In answering a question put by prosecuting counsel Conor O'Doherty about where Mr Egan slotted into the set up, she said Mr Egan used Shakeel on some of his own broodmares, and was also involved in the promotion of the stallion. She also said he was the "frontperson" for Shakeel and stated that she had "no experience in standing a stallion". Shakeel winners At another point, Mr O'Doherty questioned if Shakeel had sired any winners, to which Ms O'Brien responded that one, Shakespurr, had placed in a race in Slovakia. This was not a surprise to the Irish Examiner, which revealed in the summer of 2023 that a horse called Shakespurr, linked to Catherine O'Brien, placed third in a race in Bratislava, earning a lowly €250. However, this newspaper also revealed that the same horse had placed last in a race at the same track at a separate meeting. When Mr O'Doherty put it to Ms O'Brien that placing in a Slovakian race would not have the same status as races in Ireland, the UK, or France, Ms O'Brien responded: 'As with any racehorse going out, it doesn't matter if it is the Curragh, or Ballinrobe, or it doesn't matter if it is Slovakia, it is an achievement for any horse to be placed or win in a race.' At times, the heat was too much to bear in Judge Eugene O'Kelly's court – so much so that on two different days the court had to rise for a short time to give the jurors a break. On one occasion, an eye towards the jury box saw several of them fanning themselves with sheets of paper, leading Mr O'Doherty to highlight concerns about the air conditioning and Judge O'Kelly to raise concerns about whether the issue in the room impacts the administration of justice. Catherine O'Brien in the witness box The accused at the centre of all the drama sat to the side of the room for much of the trial, until her turn came to be the witness. Initially, it was anticipated that there would be just one witness for the defence, John Walsh, whose stint in the witness box was tinged with tension and outbursts which at times brought smiles to the jurors's faces. One bystander to the proceedings muttered on the day of Mr Walsh's evidence that he should have brought popcorn to court. Soon after Mr Walsh left the witness box, however, word got around that Catherine O'Brien would herself take the stand. No longer was John Walsh the star witness. Now, the spotlight was firmly shining on the woman accused of deceiving John Blake out of money in transactions involving the purchase, transport and insurance of Lingreville. In the absence of the jury, Ms O'Brien raised concerns through her legal team about the 'sarcastic' tone which she believed Mr O'Doherty was using in his cross-examination of her. Also discussed in the trial was how scared Ms O'Brien was when her home was targeted by men who had been shouting through her letterbox and rattling her side gate before sending her a WhatsApp video message 'demanding' €45,000, in September 2019. During the seventh day of the trial, Ms O'Brien said of the incident at her home: It was a horrible, scary event. My life was threatened. My children's lives were threatened. She added: 'I was not comfortable in Dungarvan.' During cross-examination, the court heard that a phone number used by the accused had also been linked to communications with Wetherbys and Five Star Bloodstock in relation to transport by women called Kate Egan and Amy Power respectively. Mr O'Doherty asked Ms O'Brien who these women were and if Amy Power was a fake name she had used, to which she replied: 'I do not accept that.' Throughout her period in the witness box, Ms O'Brien had argued she had been acting on the instruction of Mr Walsh, who himself said had 50 or 60 years of experience of working with horses. He told the court that he had bought Shakeel in a 'three-way partnership' with Ms O'Brien and her uncle, Edmund Hawe. He said that Catherine, who he also referred to as Kate, had acted on his instruction in carrying out the paperwork. In a statement made to gardaí, Mr Walsh had said he had been dealing with Ms O'Brien 'for the last three, four years', describing their relationship as 'strictly business'. In the absence of the jury, Catherine O'Brien (pictured) raised concerns through her legal team about the 'sarcastic' tone which she believed Mr O'Doherty was using in his cross-examination of her. Picture: Dan Linehan When Mr O'Doherty asked why he made such a clarification, Mr Walsh accused the defence counsel of 'defaming my character'. Ms O'Brien was a calmer presence in the witness box and finished her cross-examination on Wednesday morning. This followed an appearance by her in court on Tuesday in which she hobbled into the courthouse, accompanied by Mr Walsh. Her counsel applied, in the absence of the jury, for an adjournment of the case for a week and Judge O'Kelly was presented with a medical certificate from SouthDoc in Mallow outlining that Ms O'Brien was suffering from severe neuralgic pain. The judge was told Ms O'Brien was unable to sit. The certificate outlined that she would not be able to attend 'school or work' until July 20. Mr O'Doherty pointed out that Mr Blake had attended court despite his cancer diagnosis. The case was adjourned for a day, but this was because a member of the jury had suffered a bereavement over the weekend. Judge O'Kelly said that there was very little evidence left to be given, which could be given while standing, and directed that Ms O'Brien return to court on Wednesday morning. The trial heard how Catherine O'Brien (pictured) was scared when her home was targeted by men who had been shouting through her letterbox and rattling her side gate before sending her a WhatsApp video message 'demanding' €45,000, in September 2019. Picture: Dan Linehan On her return on Wednesday morning, she appeared to be recovering and remained seated for much of the proceedings including while finishing off her cross-examination. She was again accompanied by Mr Walsh, who sat at the back of the courtroom throughout the day, and was present when she was found guilty, her only supporter in the room. From time to time, people came in to have a peek at the ongoing trial, while one person travelled several hours to attend many days of the proceedings because of interactions he previously had with Ms O'Brien. As the case proceeded, this reporter spent time after every court day fielding calls and text messages from people across the country glued to the case because of prior dealings they have had with her. Communications came from as far away as Clare, Cavan and Dublin, with one person mentioning that he was feeding information from the happenings in Waterford circuit court to former contacts of Ms O'Brien abroad. For now, the trail has caught up with Catherine O'Brien, taking her to a cell in Limerick as she awaits her sentence.
Irish Examiner
6 days ago
- Irish Examiner
Breaking: Catherine O'Brien found guilty of deception charges
Catherine O'Brien has been found guilty of deception charges by a jury at Waterford Circuit Court. The jury returned the verdict following a trial relating to the purchase, transport, and insurance of a French mare called Lingreville. It was alleged that she 'dishonestly by deception' induced Dubliner John Blake to pay €20,000 to purchase the horse — which the State alleged was not purchased; to pay €1,100 insurance for the mare — which the State said was not paid; and €984 to transport the horse from France to Ireland — which the State said was not transported. Ms O'Brien, of An Grianan, Ballinroad, Dungarvan, Co Waterford, had pleaded not guilty to the three charges of making gain or causing loss by deception contrary to Section 6 of the Criminal Justice (Theft and Fraud Offences) Act 2001. The jury had heard she had met Mr Blake on a dating website called Plenty of Fish. More to follow...
Irish Examiner
6 days ago
- Irish Examiner
Catherine O'Brien a devious liar who preyed on a vulnerable man, deception trial jury told
The prosecution has claimed the deception case against Catherine O'Brien showed her as a devious liar who had preyed on a vulnerable man. Prosecution counsel Conor O'Doherty made the claim in his closing speech on Wednesday in the trial of the 47-year-old, who is accused of deception relating to the purchase, transport, and insurance of a French mare called Lingreville. The jury went out to start their deliberations at 3.49pm on Wednesday afternoon. It is alleged Ms O'Brien 'dishonestly by deception' induced Dubliner John Blake to pay €20,000 to purchase the horse — which the State alleges was not purchased; to pay €1,100 insurance for the mare — which the State says was not paid; and €984 to transport the horse from France to Ireland — which the State says was not transported. Ms O'Brien, of An Grianan, Ballinroad, Dungarvan, Co Waterford, has pleaded not guilty to the three charges of making gain or causing loss by deception contrary to Section 6 of the Criminal Justice (Theft and Fraud Offences) Act 2001. On Wednesday morning in Waterford Circuit Court, Mr O'Doherty told the jury Mr Blake had been drawn in to a 'well of deceit' by Ms O'Brien. He referenced a settlement document which was signed by Mr Blake, Ms O'Brien and Ms O'Brien's business associate John Walsh, of Bishopstown Stud, Lismore, Co Waterford, on October 14, 2021. The document outlined the horse purchased by Mr Blake was a brood mare called Shamalana, which had been 'incorrectly named in purchase negotiations with Mr Blake as Lingreville' and he would receive €22,000, which was paid to him the following day. Mr O'Doherty said if the condition for Mr Blake getting €22,000 back 'was to say he stole Shergar, I think he would have signed it". He said Ms O'Brien's evidence and that of defence witness John Walsh did not tally with each other. He also said there were no documents produced in court by Ms O'Brien to support her evidence. He alleged the accused and a woman called Amy Power were both using a mobile phone number, which the accused admitted to gardaí in 2019 was her number. Mr O'Doherty said 'Catherine O'Brien was using an alias, using a false name'. He added Mr Blake was a deeply religious man who was 'being constantly preyed upon' by Ms O'Brien. Addressing the jury, Mr O'Doherty said: 'John Blake had complete faith in her and Catherine O'Brien knew that and manipulated that to her own gain.' Defence counsel Simon Donagh, however, told the jury that 'in a nutshell, the defence case is that there was no deception, it was a mistake'. He continued: 'Yes, Lingreville did feature on a text message. It was a mistake'. He told them while they may not accept everything she or defence witness John Walsh said, their decision must be 'beyond all reasonable doubt'. He added: 'Yes, money went from Mr Blake to the bank account of Ms O'Brien. That does not mean that that was done dishonestly.' Mr Donagh said Mr Blake signed the settlement document 'voluntarily and following legal advice'. Mr Donagh said the jury had an incomplete picture of the communications between Mr Blake and Ms O'Brien because 'none of Mr Blake's two phones were properly analysed'.
Irish Examiner
04-07-2025
- Irish Examiner
Catherine O'Brien claimed she was threatened by man in balaclava, court hears
A woman appearing on deception charges at Waterford Circuit Court had previously claimed to have been threatened by several men at her home in Waterford. Catherine O'Brien, aged 47, of An Grianan, Ballinroad, Dungarvan, Co Waterford, stands accused of three charges of making gain or causing loss by deception contrary to Section 6 of the Criminal Justice (Theft and Fraud Offences) Act 2001 against complainant John Blake. Mr Blake transferred €20,000 to the accused for the purchase, transport and insurance of a French broodmare named Lingreville. The defence have alleged that the mare bought by Mr Blake was named Shamalana, not Lingreville, due to an error made in 'good faith'. Mr Blake rejects the claim. No records of Lingreville's transport to Ireland On Thursday, July 3, Liz Lynch of Five Star Bloodstock Transport gave evidence via video link about the transporting of a mare. She confirmed the transport of a mare named Shamalana, not Lingreville. International movements administrator at Weatherbys Annette Doyle appeared in person to give testimony. She explained that Weatherbys would have been informed about any transport of a thoroughbred to another country and that there was no record of Lingreville being brought to Ireland after 2015. Simon Donagh, defending, asked all three witnesses if gardaí had ever requested their phones as part of the investigation. They said no. Two €20k transfers into bank account At Waterford Circuit Court on Friday, Detective Garda Joe Wyse and Conor O'Doherty BL, prosecuting, went through a number of financial documents related to a closed bank account that was opened in 2012 by Catherine O'Brien for her daughter Katie in an Ulster Bank branch in Clonmel, Co Tipperary. Catherine O'Brien, aged 47, of An Grianan, Ballinroad, Dungarvan, Co Waterford. Picture: Dan Linehan Documents revealed two transfers of €20,000 made by the complainant John Blake — on February 21, 2018, and April 5, 2018 — via Swift. The account was closed on May 29 2019. The jury was shown statements of lodgings and transactions. Simon Donagh, defending, told Det Wyse the large sums of money taken out of the account were 'given to John Walsh', referring to the man Mr Blake met through the accused. Det Wyse confirmed that he was not aware of that. Mr Donagh then asked the detective if he was aware that the account was closed following a request by gardaí. Det Wyse said: 'I have no evidence of that' and that he understood that the account holder was then based in Cork and closed the account for convenience. Reports of threats to Ms O'Brien Det Garda Martin Keohane gave evidence via video link about an alleged incident that occurred on September 21, 2019. The accused claimed several men had come to her house in Dungarvan, threatened her and demanded €46,000 from her. Mr Donagh asked Det Keohane if he was aware of any additional or video messages containing threats to Ms O'Brien and her home. Det Keohane confirmed he had seen a video of a man wearing a balaclava sitting in the back seat of a car, purportedly outside of O'Briens' home, asking for 'money owed, stating that the 'problem wasn't going anywhere' and threatening to damage the house. Det Keohane confirmed that there was no prosecution in the matter. Ms O'Brien 'never came to court' Mr O'Doherty noted that two people had been sent forward for trial in Circuit Court but a nolle prosequi verdict had to be given. Det Keohane stated that Ms O'Brien 'never came to court' over the case. He further stated that Ms O'Brien 'couldn't be located' in Waterford for a 'number of years'. Mr O'Doherty asked Det Wyse if there was any indication that a relative of Mr Blake was present at the alleged incident to which he said no. Det Wyse told the court that he had analysed Mr Blake's phone on foot of his official statement. He confirmed that he had photographed the messages between the accused and the complainant from the latter's phone, an iPhone and a Samsung. According to the detective, in recent months attempts were made to forensically analyse the iPhone but there was a risk of deleting all evidence. When asked by the defence why the Samsung phone wasn't taken away for analysis, Det Wyse said: Mr Blake is suffering from cancer, he lives alone and that was the only phone he has. Mr Donagh queried why Mr Blake's phones were analysed by the detective but not the phones of witnesses Annette Doyle and Liz Lynch. Det. Walsh said the witnesses were 'cooperative and compliant' and had signed a declaration that their statements were based in fact. Mr Donagh stated: 'The jury can't be told to take this at face value,' to which Det Wyse replied: 'I don't accept that, Annette Doyle was here.' Mr Donagh said: 'Well, Ms O'Brien says she's not guilty, should we just take that at face value? Det Wyse retorted: 'The evidence is different though, isn't it?' Mr Donagh referenced an earlier claim that John Walsh offered to pay Mr Blake back €45,000 in three instalments of €15,000. Det Wyse confirmed that Mr Blake told him that was a 'possibility of getting his money back.' Jury were presented with a document that pertained to be a settlement dating from October 2021 between the accused, the complainant and John Walsh. Defence counsel informed the court that they have called John Walsh as a witness and he is due to appear on Tuesday. The trial continues.
Irish Examiner
02-07-2025
- Business
- Irish Examiner
Fraud case hears of Catherine O'Brien's 'zero-risk investment' offer in €20k French racehorse
An alleged phantom sale of a French racehorse, pitched as a lucrative investment that was 'too good to be true', is at the centre of a fraud case against a Cork woman. Catherine O'Brien met John Blake on dating site Plenty of Fish, and over time convinced him to invest €20,000 in a thoroughbred stallion called Shakeel. By investing €20,000 in breeding rights in this stallion, investors would make €14,000 per annum from foals or covering rights, she said. 'I promise I won't let you down,' she told Mr Blake in one of many messages between the pair read out to Waterford Circuit Court. She wanted 'ordinary people' to have fun and make money from horses, she said. While there were huge profits, often tax-free, in the industry, they were currently being made by only a few and she said she believed in opening that opportunity to more people. In messages, she told him of her international travel and of buying and selling horses. She also spoke of how much of her time and resources she gave to charities, helping children with additional needs and the poverty stricken in India. She spoke of caring for her elderly uncle and visiting her father's grave. 'You're an angel sent from heaven,' Mr Blake said in one of their many messages when she promised him large, tax-free profits from equine investments she would organise for him. 'I just want ordinary people to see the equine world, enjoy it and benefit from it,' Ms O'Brien said in a message. She claimed that investing breeding rights in the stallion was a "zero-risk investment', with returns of €14,000 for the first three years, with the first return due in just months. Mr Blake said that the investment was too good to be true in messages. But he never got the promised return on investment, prosecuting barrister Conor O'Doherty told Waterford Circuit court, while opening the case for the State. While Mr Blake had little to no knowledge of the bloodstock industry, Ms O'Brien claimed to have a lot of knowledge of the equine industry, Mr O'Doherty said. She said that he could make huge profits by investing in a brood mare to be covered by the thoroughbred stallion Shakeel which he had already invested in. French mare - Lingreville For another €20,000 investment, he could buy a French mare called Lingreville, which had already raced and produced some foals and which she would keep for him for free in her Cork property. Lingreville had been sold to Mr Blake as a brood mare of exceptional pedigree which would be a brilliant investment, Mr O'Doherty told the jury. Mr Blake would also have to pay €984 to transport the mare from France to Ireland to prove ownership, she said, Mr O'Doherty told the court. Ms O'Brien told him she was buying a large volume of mares to try to make the stallion Shakeel - which he had already invested in - a success. Mr Blake was not a man of considerable financial means and €20,000 was a lot of money, particularly after putting in money already for the breeding rights share on the stallion Shakeel, Mr O'Doherty told the court. 'He told her he would have to get a credit union loan,' Mr O'Doherty said. John Blake did hand over €20,000 he got from a credit union loan. But this money was to go to Ms O'Brien directly – not to the agent selling the horse in France – Mr O'Doherty said. Ms O'Brien is accused of deception charges related to John Blake and the purchase, transport and insurance of a French mare called Lingreville. It is alleged that she 'dishonestly by deception' induced Mr Blake to pay €20,000 to purchase the horse – which was not purchased, the State alleges; to pay €1,100 insurance for the mare – which the State said was not paid; and €984 to transport the horse from France to Ireland - which was not transported as alleged. Ms O'Brien, of An Grianan, Ballinroad, Dungarvan, Co Waterford, has pleaded not guilty to the three charges of making gain or causing loss by deception contrary to Section 6 of the Criminal Justice (Theft and Fraud Offences) Act 2001. Ms O'Brien, aged 47, formerly living in Buttevant, Co Cork, is represented by defence barrister Simon Donagh, BL, instructed by solicitor Ray Kavanagh. The trial, in front of his Honour Judge Eugene O'Kelly and a jury of seven women and five men, continues.
