Latest news with #MullingarCircuitCriminalCourt
Sunday World
3 days ago
- Sunday World
Gambler (21) after ‘quick buck' let criminals use back account to launder €35k
Jamie Lee told gardai that an unnamed friend contacted him over Snapchat, offering him a chance to make money A young gambler, who was after a 'quick buck' and let 'smishing' fraudsters use his bank account to launder €35,000 in stolen funds, has been remanded on bail pending sentence. Jamie Lee, 21, of Meadow View, Clonard, Co Meath, pleaded guilty at Mullingar Circuit Criminal Court to possessing proceeds of criminal conduct in January 2024. Detective Garda Kevin Lennon told Judge Sinéad Ní Chúlacháin yesterday that a woman reported her son had given her bank details and code in reply to a text pretending to be from a telecom provider. It led to her account being 'hacked', and €35,300 was stolen in 17 transfers, with the sums ranging from €200 to €3,700, to Lee's account. She discovered this when she attempted to withdraw money from the Bank of Ireland, but her request was declined, and her account was frozen. She then alerted gardaí in Mullingar. Lee later told Detective Garda Lennon that an unnamed friend contacted him over Snapchat, offering him a chance to make money by using his account. He then met three males he did not know and gave them his bank details. John Hayden SC, defending, said that his client, who works in a warehouse for a major retailer, had been cooperative. Detective Garda Lennon agreed, adding the accused had been naive at the time and after a quick buck. He also accepted that Lee, who had no previous convictions, was 'in the throes of a gambling addiction', did not receive any payment and did not try to give gardaí the runaround. Mr Hayden outlined how his client started gambling after a relationship breakup. However, he was soon losing his wages in one night, and he also crashed his mother's car, and he was put on antidepressants. He also expressed remorse in the court case. The court was furnished with a letter from him and his mother, and a report from his addiction counsellor and his GP. Mr Hayden said people behind smishing scams prey on people like his client. With the help of his family, he had brought €5,000 to court, and the judge noted that the bank had reimbursed the victim. She stated that this was a serious offence and noted that he was asked to participate in the fraud and met three people he did not know, expecting to make a profit. However, she took into account how gambling had become such a problem and remarked that it had become easy to gamble, but the consequences were serious. She held that the offence warranted a one-year sentence but noted the guilty plea, mitigation and that he had been a pro-social member of society. She stated that she would consider sparing him a conviction if he came up with an additional €3,000 on his own; otherwise, he would receive a conviction and 140 hours of community service. The case resumes in November.
The Journal
3 days ago
- The Journal
Man pleads guilty to letting fraudsters use his bank account to launder money
A 21-YEAR-OLD man, who was looking for a 'quick buck', let fraudsters use his bank account to launder €35,000. Jamie Lee, of Meadow View, Clonard, Co Meath, pleaded guilty to possessing the proceeds of criminal conduct in January 2024. He was today remanded on bail pending a sentencing hearing. Mullingar Circuit Criminal Court heard that a woman reported that her son had given her bank details and code in reply to a text pretending to be from a telecom provider. It led to her account being 'hacked', and €35,300 stolen in 17 transfers, Detective Garda Kevin Lennon told Judge Sinéad Ní Chúlacháin. Sums ranging from €200 to €3,700 entered Lee's account. She discovered this when she attempted to withdraw money from the Bank of Ireland, but her request was declined, and her account was frozen. She then alerted gardaí in Mullingar. Lee later told Detective Garda Lennon that an unnamed friend contacted him over Snapchat, offering him a chance to make money by using his account. He then met three males he did not know and gave them his bank details. John Hayden SC, defending, said that his client, who works in a warehouse for a major retailer, had been cooperative. Detective Garda Lennon agreed, adding the accused had been naive at the time and after a 'quick buck'. Advertisement He also accepted that Lee, who had no previous convictions, was 'in the throes of a gambling addiction', did not receive any payment and did not try to give gardaí the runaround. Hayden outlined how his client started gambling after a relationship breakup. However, he was soon losing his wages in one night, and he also crashed his mother's car, and he was put on antidepressants. He also expressed remorse in the court case. The court was furnished with a letter from him and his mother, and a report from his addiction counsellor and his GP. Hayden said people behind scams prey on people like his client. With the help of his family, he had brought €5,000 to court, and the judge noted that the bank had reimbursed the victim. She stated that this was a serious offence and noted that he was asked to participate in the fraud and met three people he did not know, expecting to make a profit. She took into account how gambling had become a problem and said it has become easy to gamble. Jusge Ní Chúlacháin held that the offence warranted a one-year sentence but noted the guilty plea, mitigation and that he had been a pro-social member of society. She stated that she would consider sparing him a conviction if he came up with an additional €3,000 on his own; otherwise, he would receive a conviction and 140 hours of community service. The case resumes in November.
Sunday World
5 days ago
- Sunday World
Doctor with opioid addiction spared jail for stealing and forging prescriptions
Daniel Nevin pleaded guilty to the theft of prescription pads from two hospitals, as well as 46 counts of forgery and using false instruments A medical doctor who told a court that work stress caused his chronic opioid addiction and led him to steal and forge prescriptions, is to be spared jail and a criminal record. Daniel Nevin, 39, pleaded guilty at Mullingar Circuit Criminal Court to the theft of prescription pads from two hospitals, as well as 46 counts of forgery and using false instruments, committed between 2021 and 2024. His 35-year-old fiancée, Rebecca Moylan, a qualified nurse was trying to help him cope with his addiction and admitted stealing prescriptions and unlawfully using them in pharmacies. Judge Keenan Johnson emphasised that these offences undermined the integrity of the medical prescription system and noted Nevin was in the throes of an addiction but had never put a patient at risk. He stated the couple whose careers have been ruined and reputations tarnished had only damaged themselves, saying, "The main victims of this are the two accused". Nevin achieved a PhD from Trinity College, specialising in pharmacology, and had worked in medical research in Australia with his former college tutor before returning to Ireland to continue his studies, qualifying as a medical doctor in 2018. Daniel Nevin When the addiction started in 2019, he tried to tackle it but relapsed around the period of offending. Judge Johnson remarked that Nevin was a "high achiever," but considered how he had removed himself from working on wards as a clinician and moved into a tutoring role at Midlands Regional General Hospital, Mullingar. He was also mindful of the pressures placed on medical professionals working 24-hour shifts in busy environments. He held that the couple did not reach the threshold for a custodial sentence and noted they had paid a huge price. Judge Johnson went on to rule that the couple could be spared convictions and would receive the benefit of the Probation of Offenders Act if Nevin and his fiancée donated €15,000 and €5,000, respectively, to the Merchant Quay drug treatment project as a form of restorative justice. The case stands adjourned until Friday. Among the doctor's charges were thefts of prescriptions from University Hospital Galway between July 2021 and July 2023, and from the Midlands Regional General Hospital in Mullingar, from July 10, 2023, until February 18, 2024. Daniel Nevin and Rebecca Moylan News in 90 Seconds - July 10th The remaining charges he admitted included three counts of using false prescriptions in pharmacies in Kells, Co. Meath, Kilbeggan, Co. Westmeath, and Tullamore, Co. Offaly, on various dates. Qualified nurse Rebecca Moylan admitted theft of prescription pads from St James's Hospital in Dublin from September 1, 2023, until November of that year. She also pleaded guilty to using prescriptions forged by her partner in several pharmacies. The couple, who plan to marry later this year, used a fictitious patient's name on most of the prescriptions to get the OxyContin, a highly addictive opioid based medicine. They were exposed when a pharmacist in Mullingar became suspicious in May last year. He contacted the hospital in Galway and discovered they had no record of the prescription or the named patient. Detective Garda Kevin Lennon told prosecutor Cathal Ó Braonáin BL, instructed by State solicitor Matt Shaw, that Moylan, originally from Portumna, Co Galway, passed off 16 prescriptions in two pharmacies in Mullingar. Dr Daniel Nevin signed them and also included his medical council registration number. Moylan was also recorded on CCTV claiming to be collecting the medicines on behalf of her mother. Detective Garda Lennon agreed that he had liaised with the community care pharmacist for counties Westmeath, Longford, Offaly, and Laois, who had alerted chemists to exercise caution regarding Dr Nevin's prescriptions. There was a similar incident on May 8 last year using an Irish version of Nevin's surname, but a pharmacist refused to dispense the medication, followed by more attempts throughout that month. Rebecca Moylan The detective obtained a search warrant, went to their home at Greenpark Meadows, Mullingar, Co. Westmeath, and uncovered "a large quantity of various medications" and stolen prescription pads. The couple were interviewed, made admissions and opened up to gardaí about Nevin's addiction. Taking the stand, the doctor agreed with his defence senior counsel Colm Smyth SC that the "stress and strain of the job precipitated and aggravated my addiction"; he initially managed to buy opioids online before he sought help to tackle the problem. The medical council was aware of his struggle, and its health committee engaged with him for two years while he remained under the supervision of a doctor and a psychiatrist. He explained that after a substantial period of sobriety, he had a relapse, resulting in a prolonged absence from work and "I took myself out of the clinician domain" and switched to a teaching role in the hospital, adding that he was passionate about education. He acknowledged the consequences have been devastating, expressed remorse and explained that he is attending addiction counselling. Mr Smyth and Dara Foynes SC pleaded with the court for maximum leniency The court heard that Moylan, while studying to be a nurse, cared for her terminally ill mother. Ms Foynes asked the judge to note that Moylan acted out of the highest level of compassion and concern for her partner and was trying to manage a situation that was violently out of control, resulting in self-inflicted harm and a fall from grace. She stressed Moylan got caught up in the slipstream of what happened to her partner. Moylan has resigned from her job, agreed not to work as a nurse again while Nevin awaits a decision on the future of his medical career.
RTÉ News
5 days ago
- RTÉ News
Doctor who forged opioid prescriptions spared jail time
A medical doctor who told a court that work stress caused his chronic opioid addiction and led him to steal and forge prescriptions, is to be spared jail and a criminal record. Daniel Nevin, 39, pleaded guilty at Mullingar Circuit Criminal Court to the theft of prescription pads from two hospitals, as well as 46 counts of forgery and using false instruments, committed between 2021 and 2024. His 35-year-old fiancée, Rebecca Moylan, a qualified nurse, was trying to help him cope with his addiction and admitted stealing prescriptions and unlawfully using them in pharmacies. Judge Keenan Johnson emphasised that these offences undermined the integrity of the medical prescription system and noted Nevin was in the throes of an addiction but had never put a patient at risk. He stated the couple whose careers have been ruined and reputations tarnished had only damaged themselves, saying, "The main victims of this are the two accused". Nevin achieved a PhD from Trinity College, specialising in pharmacology, and had worked in medical research in Australia with his former college tutor before returning to Ireland to continue his studies, qualifying as a medical doctor in 2018. When the addiction started in 2019, he tried to tackle it but relapsed around the period of offending. Judge Johnson remarked that Nevin was a "high achiever," but considered how he had removed himself from working on wards as a clinician and moved into a tutoring role at Midlands Regional General Hospital in Mullingar. He was also mindful of the pressures placed on medical professionals working 24-hour shifts in busy environments. He held that the couple did not reach the threshold for a custodial sentence and noted they had paid a huge price. Judge Johnson went on to rule that the couple could be spared convictions and would receive the benefit of the Probation of Offenders Act if Nevin and his fiancée donated €15,000 and €5,000, respectively, to the Merchant Quay drug treatment project as a form of restorative justice. The case stands adjourned until Friday. Among the doctor's charges were thefts of prescriptions from University Hospital Galway between July 2021 and July 2023, and from the Midlands Regional General Hospital in Mullingar, from 10 July 2023, until 18 February 2024. The remaining charges he admitted included three counts of using false prescriptions in pharmacies in Kells, Co Meath, Kilbeggan, Co Westmeath and Tullamore, Co Offaly, on various dates. Nurse admitted theft of prescription pads Qualified nurse Rebecca Moylan admitted theft of prescription pads from St James's Hospital in Dublin from 1 September 2023, until November of that year. She also pleaded guilty to using prescriptions forged by her partner in several pharmacies. The couple, who plan to marry later this year, used a fictitious patient's name on most of the prescriptions to get the OxyContin, a highly addictive opioid-based medicine. They were exposed when a pharmacist in Mullingar became suspicious in May last year. He contacted the hospital in Galway and discovered they had no record of the prescription or the named patient. Detective Garda Kevin Lennon told prosecutor Cathal Ó Braonáin BL, instructed by State solicitor Matt Shaw, that Moylan, originally from Portumna, Co Galway, passed off 16 prescriptions in two pharmacies in Mullingar. Dr Daniel Nevin signed them and also included his medical council registration number. Moylan was also recorded on CCTV claiming to be collecting the medicines on behalf of her mother. Detective Garda Lennon agreed that he had liaised with the community care pharmacist for counties Westmeath, Longford, Offaly, and Laois, who had alerted chemists to exercise caution regarding Dr Nevin's prescriptions. There was a similar incident on 8 May last year using an Irish version of Nevin's surname, but a pharmacist refused to dispense the medication, followed by more attempts throughout that month. The detective obtained a search warrant, went to their home at Greenpark Meadows, Mullingar, Co Westmeath, and uncovered "a large quantity of various medications" and stolen prescription pads. The couple were interviewed, made admissions and opened up to gardaí about Nevin's addiction. Taking the stand, the doctor agreed with his defence senior counsel Colm Smyth SC that the "stress and strain of the job precipitated and aggravated" his addiction and that he initially managed to buy opioids online before he sought help to tackle the problem. The medical council was aware of his struggle, and its health committee engaged with him for two years while he remained under the supervision of a doctor and a psychiatrist. He explained that after a substantial period of sobriety, he had a relapse, resulting in a prolonged absence from work and took himself "out of the clinician domain" and switched to a teaching role in the hospital, adding that he was passionate about education. He acknowledged the consequences have been devastating, expressed remorse and explained that he is attending addiction counselling. Mr Smyth and Dara Foynes SC pleaded with the court for maximum leniency The court heard that Moylan, while studying to be a nurse, cared for her terminally ill mother. Ms Foynes asked the judge to note that Moylan acted out of the highest level of compassion and concern for her partner and was trying to manage a situation that was violently out of control, resulting in self-inflicted harm and a fall from grace. She stressed Moylan got caught up in the slipstream of what happened to her partner. Moylan has resigned from her job, agreed not to work as a nurse again while Nevin awaits a decision on the future of his medical career.
Sunday World
5 days ago
- Sunday World
Thug jailed for 8.5 years after assault and car-jacking described as a suicide mission
BEHIND BARS | Father-of-four Dylan Poynton, 27, pleaded guilty at Mullingar Circuit Criminal Court to assault causing harm" to another man Dylan Poynton Father-of-four Dylan Poynton, 27, pleaded guilty at Mullingar Circuit Criminal Court to assault causing harm" to another man at an apartment in River Village Athlone, Co. Westmeath on October 13, 2022. The court heard yesterday/today that Poynton was highly intoxicated in his partner's home and attacked the man by striking him with a bottle. He followed up by kicking him in the head, "stamping on his face" as he was defenceless. The victim suffered a fractured skull and needed urgent medical attention, but made a full recovery. Poynton had also admitted violently hijacking a woman's car, dangerous driving and criminal damage on November 14 last year, while out on bail for the earlier assault. The violent car seizure, described as a "suicide mission", was carried out by Poynton and his accomplice, 21-year-old David Marshall from Newtown Lawns, Mullingar, Co. Westmeath. Marshall, a father of two, was handed a seven-year sentence in April. The jobless duo, who never worked consistently and have had drink and drug problems since their early teens, had been "off their heads" at the time, Detective Garda Conor Murphy told the court that the victim had driven into a car park near Athlone rail station just after 7 am to get a train to Dublin for work. However, two men in balaclava masks opened the front doors of her Nissan Micra, shouting, "Get out". Poynton grabbed her and pulled her out, screaming. She tried to get the car keys but was pushed and fell to the ground. She has suffered anxiety, panic attacks, "depression and PTSD since then, attends counselling and was at a loss of €6,500. Poynton's 24 prior convictions included drugs and assault offences as well as dangerous driving, and he had a two-year road ban already. In tears, the victim opened up in court and revealed how she held down two jobs and had bought the car and a house, but she no longer drives in the dark and has lost her independence. The pair took turns driving her car and filmed each other for a series of Snapchat posts, laughing and jeering while blaring music as they sped along the M4 to Dublin. One video played in court showed the driver holding a beer bottle, and another clip focused on the speedometer at 160 km/h. The Micra crashed into the wall of a house in Lucan, Co. Dublin, causing €2500 damage to the property. Judge Johnson branded the pair's actions as despicable and said the footage showed a rampage and the worst incidents of dangerous driving he had ever seen. The two men seemed as if they were on a "suicide mission", and it was a miracle they did not cause carnage during the drive, he remarked. Their phones were found in the car, and gardaí later unlocked them to recover their Snapchat videos. Andrew Callan BL told the sentence hearing yesterday that Poynton began abusing cannabis from the age of 11 and then moved onto ecstasy and cocaine addiction while working occasionally in a family business providing marquees. However, he was welcome to return to living with his mother and working with his father upon release. Yesterday/today, Judge Johnson imposed consecutive three and seven-year sentences but suspended the final 18 months. Judge Johnson warned Poynton, who showed no emotion during the hearing, that, following his release, he must refrain from using alcohol and illicit drugs, remain on supervised probation, engage in addiction treatment and not reoffend for five years. Otherwise, the suspended portion of the sentence would be activated. Dylan Poynton Today's News in 90 Seconds - July 9th
