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Irish Examiner
7 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.
New Indian Express
16-07-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Justice League: Former Bodhan MLA's plea to quash FIR rejected in hit-and-run case
The Telangana High Court has dismissed a petition filed by former Bodhan MLA Mohammed Shakeel Aamir seeking quashing of an FIR registered against him in connection with a hit-and-run case involving his son. The court held that Shakeel must face investigation and cannot be exempted from legal scrutiny. The case pertains to an incident that occurred around 3 am on December 23, 2023, when a speeding car collided with a traffic divider and barricades near Praja Bhavan. Police identified the driver as Raheel, son of Shakeel. CCTV footage confirmed that four individuals were in the vehicle at the time of the accident. Following the crash, police detained Raheel. However, during the probe, authorities uncovered attempts to mislead the investigation by presenting another individual, Abdul Asif, as the driver. The alleged cover-up reportedly involved certain cops and Shakeel. Later, an FIR was registered against the accused. During the hearing, Additional Public Prosecutor Shalini Mishra submitted that Raheel had left the country and failed to appear for driver identification. She also stated that Abdul Asif was wrongly projected as the driver. The court dismissed the petitions, allowing the investigation to proceed. Relief to Eatala in poll code violation case Justice K Lakshman of the Telangana High Court on Tuesday quashed a case registered against BJP MP Eatala Rajender in connection with alleged violation of the model code of conduct during the Huzurabad Assembly bypoll. The case was registered at Kamalapur PS against Rajender and others for taking out a huge rally and bursting firecrackers in violation of the election code. After considering the submissions and procedural lapses in the investigation, the HC quashed the criminal proceedings against the MP. Remark on KCR: Case against MP quashed Justice K Lakshman quashed a case registered against BJP MP Bandi Sanjay for alleged derogatory remarks made against former chief minister KCR. The case pertains to a press meet held on November 30, 2023, in which Sanjay was accused of making controversial and offensive comments targeting KCR. During the hearing, HC noted that the police failed to produce statements of witnesses that could substantiate the charges against Sanjay. Rape case against prof dismissed The Telangana High Court has quashed a rape case filed against assistant professor Ranjith, offering relief to the accused after finding the allegations baseless and lacking sufficient grounds for prosecution. Justice Juvvadi Sridevi, who presided over the case, observed that both the petitioner (Ranjith) and the complainant were adults and appeared to have been in a consensual relationship. The complainant, a 21-year-old woman, had alleged that during her MA (English) studies in 2017, she developed a relationship with Ranjith while residing in a hostel. She claimed Ranjith promised to marry her after divorcing his wife, but later refused and forced her out of his house. Based on her complaint, the police registered a case in 2019 and filed a chargesheet following the investigation.
Hindustan Times
13-07-2025
- Hindustan Times
Meerut youth held for killing 2 minors, acid used post-murder
A 22-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the murder of two boys in Sardhana town of Meerut district. Police said the accused, Mohd Asad, allegedly killed the children, aged 15 and 11, and attempted to dissolve one of the bodies using acid. Police probe links to occult practices and alleged sexual assault (Sourced) He was caught after a late-night police encounter on July 12 and is currently undergoing treatment for injuries sustained during the operation, according to police. The case surfaced after 15-year-old Uvaish, a resident of Nawabgarhi, went missing on July 9. His father, Shakeel, filed a police complaint the next day. On July 11, Shakeel received a WhatsApp message from his son's number, demanding a ransom of ₹5 lakh. The message also included a bank account number. Shakeel transferred ₹5,000, after which all communication stopped. Police intensified the investigation and questioned locals, narrowing down on Asad, who lived 500 metres from the boy's house. He was detained the same evening and, after sustained questioning, allegedly confessed to the crime. Police later recovered Uvaish's body from a pit at an under-construction house about 700 metres away. The body had been hidden under bricks. A search of Asad's residence yielded hair, clothes, and slippers believed to belong to the victims. These have been sent for forensic examination. During interrogation, Asad also allegedly admitted to killing another boy, 11-year-old Rehan, who went missing on April 11 from the same locality. Police said Asad lured Rehan and tried to sexually assault him. When the boy resisted, Asad allegedly strangled him with a rope. While the body has not yet been found, police recovered Rehan's clothes and coins from the area. SP (Rural) Rakesh Kumar Mishra said Asad confessed to murdering the boys after they resisted his advances. An occult angle is also being investigated. Police have recovered the rope allegedly used in the murders and are questioning Asad's family. On July 12 night, Asad led the police to the sites where he had hidden evidence. According to officials, while retrieving a rope from a forested area, Asad allegedly pulled out a hidden firearm and opened fire. In retaliation, police shot him in both legs and arrested him.
Irish Examiner
10-07-2025
- Business
- Irish Examiner
Catherine O'Brien tells court she is ‘not guilty of anything'
Alleged fraudster Catherine O'Brien told her trial on Thursday that she was "not guilty of anything". The jury at Waterford Circuit Court heard hours of direct evidence by the defendant from the witness box. Simon Donagh, defending, spoke to Ms O'Brien about the timeline of her correspondence with the complainant John Blake. Ms O'Brien told the court at the prompt of her barrister that she was 'not guilty of anything.' She said she had known John Walsh from childhood because he was 'friendly' with her father. She is currently a carer for her elderly uncle but at the time, she was involved in foaling mares. She and Mr Walsh travelled to France in 2015 to find a stallion but it wasn't until 2018 that they purchased thoroughbred stallion Shakeel from Aga Kahn. Shakeel had had a successful racing career, becoming a group one horse, before being injured and subsequently retired to stud. Ms O'Brien and Mr Walsh sold breeding rights in Shakeel for €7,000 each. It was expected that if the horse sired race winners, this would go up but until then Ms O'Brien said they wanted to keep his 'accessible' for 'ordinary people' who wanted to get into horse breeding. Seeking a 'pen pal' on Plenty Of Fish Ms O'Brien told the court that when she met Mr Blake on the Plenty Of Fish website, she was only looking for a 'pen pal situation.' Mr Blake invested €20,000 in Shakeel and had two breeding rights which Ms O'Brien said carried zero risk as they could be sold. Ms O'Brien also told the court she had arranged for Mr Blake to see the horse but she was not present at the meeting which was hosted by Mr Walsh. She confirmed that documents for the breeding rights were drawn up by a solicitor and carried the 'Classic Thoroughbreds' syndicate logo, setting out the terms of the agreement. The agreement entitled Mr Blake to two nominations a year. Ms O'Brien said: 'I was just the person to sign on behalf of Classic Thoroughbreds.' She told the court that Mr Walsh was the 'main person' in Classic Thoroughbreds and that she received a fee of €1,500 for every breeding right sold. She said of Mr Blake and another potential investor: 'I didn't really mind whether they bought breeding rights or not.' Ms O'Brien said that she donated €100 of every right sold to the Hope Foundation, and that her children had travelled to India to help with the charity. The court heard how the parties discussed buying the broodmare for Shakeel. Ms O'Brien confirmed the document that read 'Lingreville' on the top of the document, but the document itself actually referred to a horse related to Shamalana. In early 2018, Shamalana was bought and brought to Ireland. Ms O'Brien said she did not make a call to Five Star Bloodstock Transport Ltd to arrange the transport. [Liz Lynch of Five Star Bloodstock Ltd previously told the court that the transport was arranged over the phone by a woman named 'Amy Power'.] 18 months of messages The defence went through the roughly 18 months of messages between Ms O'Brien and Mr Blake. In the messages, Mr Blake constantly asks about Ms O'Brien's wellbeing and is very supportive and complimentary towards her. She sent him updates about his mare, describing how she was successfully covered by Shakeel and was expecting a foal. The gestation period appeared to last over 12 months. She sent him a video and photo of a colt foal, which Mr Blake understood to be the foal of his mare Lingreville. Ms O'Brien repeatedly confirmed in court that the mare was named Shamalana. She said that she had previously referred to the mare as 'Lingreville' because of the name written down on the pedigree document by John Walsh. Abrupt end to the correspondence Their correspondence came to an abrupt end in September 2019, when Mr Blake learned that the horse he thought he had purchased, Lingreville, had never left France. In the months leading up to that date, Mr Blake made numerous attempts to meet with the defendant and to see what he understood was his mare and his foal. The meetings never took place, due to a variety of health issues suffered by Ms O'Brien, including broken ribs, a virus contracted from foals, back problems and reoccurring shingles. Ms O'Brien told the court that at that time she had "weeks from hell" due to an incident in Wexford. She said that Mr Walsh had moved from the stud farm in Kinnegad, Co Westmeath, to a stud in Wexford, bringing a number of horses with him. She said: 'There had been an incident with the horses in Wexford. The situation wasn't very good.' In a message sent on August 12, 2019, she wrote to Mr Blake: 'John, I'm in terrible trouble and I'd like to talk to you.' He replied: 'Katie, you've been hiding from me for a long time.' She wrote: Whatever happens, you are a nice person and I want to do my best for you. She explained that she had been under a 'huge amount of stress' over the 'horrible situation in Wexford'. He wrote back: 'I had great faith in you Katie.' In court, Ms O'Brien said that at this time: 'I had reached an all time level of low. It was a very terrible time.' She said that newspaper articles had come out about the 'Wexford situation' and that she was being contacted by journalists. Alleged harassment When asked about the alleged harassment she reported at her house in Dungarvan, Ms O'Brien said that men had been shouting through her letterbox and rattling her side gate before sending her a WhatsApp video message 'demanding' €45,000. Ms O'Brien said she went to report the incident at Waterford City Garda Station because she "didn't have a good relationship" with gardaí in Dungarvan. The case was sent back to Dungarvan because of jurisdiction. The trial continues.
Irish Examiner
09-07-2025
- Irish Examiner
Catherine O'Brien was 'flat out lying to a vulnerable, elderly man', court told
Alleged fraudster Catherine O'Brien was "flat out lying to a vulnerable, elderly man", a trial heard on Wednesday. Defence witness John Walsh appeared at Waterford Circuit Court before the jury and Judge Eugene O'Kelly. Mr Walsh said he was famer and the owner of Bishopstown Stud in Lismore Co, Waterford, with "50, 60 years" of experience with horses. He told Simon Donagh, defending, that he had a "business relationship" with Catherine O'Brien. He said they had bought thoroughbred stallion Shakeel in "February, March 2018" from breeder Aga Khan, through their 'company' Classic Thoroughbreds. He noted that the stallion came first place at the Grand Prix de Paris. Mr Walsh said he had bought the stallion in a 'three-way partnership' along with Ms O'Brien and Edward Hawe. He claimed they were running a syndicate and that Ms O'Brien carried out 'the paperwork' under his instruction. On the purchase of the stallion, he said 'Katie O'Brien was representing the syndicate'. Throughout the day, Mr Walsh referred to the accused alternately as 'Kate', 'Katie' and 'Catherine'. Mr Walsh told the court he had met the complainant John Blake at Coolnahay Stud in Co Westmeath in February 2018. Mr Walsh said: I showed him [Shakeel] and he was very happy. A deal was brokered for the breeding rights. [Mr Blake paid €20,000 for these breeding rights.] 'Catherine, or Kate, O'Brien met him at a hotel after and finalised the documentation per my instruction, so Blake bought two nominations.' Mr Walsh detailed that a broodmare of 'top-class pedigree' was purchased soon afterwards off French agent Guy Petit, which had an initial asking price of €30,000 and was bought for €24,750. Shamalana transported to Ireland Mr Walsh said the name of the horse was Shamalana, a mare sired by stallion Sinndar. He said: 'She arrived in Ireland, she was in my care and it was up to me to look after her, which I duly done.' According to the witness, Shamalana was successfully covered by Shakeel in April 2018 and had a foal. Mr Donagh asked if Wetherby's were made aware of the covering and he said: 'It was done by Catherine O'Brien on my behalf'. [Annette Doyle of Weatherby's earlier confirmed a report that the Shakeel had covered a mare named Shamalana.] Throughout the questioning by defence, Mr Walsh reiterated that the accused worked under his instruction. He said in late 2018, he showed Mr Blake the mare, which was a light brown colour, also known as a 'bay mare'. Pointing at Detective Garda Joe Wyse, Mr Walsh said: 'This man kept insisting on a grey mare called Lingreville.' Mr Walsh said at one point that he didn't know a mare by that name. However, he did state: 'I happened to write it [Lingreville] on top of the pedigree form for Sinndar,' and 'couldn't recall why.' Conor O'Doherty, prosecuting, asked the witness why the name Lingreville was written in his handwriting on the top of the pedigree document. Mr Walsh responded: 'I can't remember why but we never had that mare.' Mr Walsh also said that it was common practice in the equine industry to refer to mares by their sires' name, ie: Shamalana/Sinndar. Mr Walsh said when Mr Blake confronted him about the issue on his farm in September 2019, 'I could see he was not a suitable person, he would be far better off if we terminated his agreement.' Mr Walsh said he offered to pay Mr Blake €45,000 in three instalments of €15,000. When asked later why Mr Blake received a settlement of €22,000 two years later, Mr Walsh said: 'That's what he agreed to and he was very happy with it.' The settlement referred to the mare Shamalana as being incorrectly named Lingreville. Mr Walsh couldn't give "an approximate date" for when he transferred money for Shamalana's transport to Mr Petit, saying 'probably December or January' and that Ms O'Brien paid the sum on his behalf. The witness said: 'She was doing the paperwork and I was looking after the day to day running of the horses.' Mr O'Doherty asked about Classic Thoroughbreds and whether there were any official documents that declared it as an official limited company. Mr Walsh said he paid €85,000 for Shakeel himself. After some back and forth, Mr Walsh said the syndicate was intended to be a racing club but was disbanded in 2018 after being set up in May that same year. No document was presented. Mr Walsh suggested that Mr Blake made his own decision in investing in the breeding rights and the broodmare. He said: 'It's up to the owner to get mares, not me.' 'Guaranteed return' Mr O'Doherty asked if a 'guaranteed' return of €14,000 on an unproven stallion would be "Bernie Madoff levels of return?' Mr Walsh replied: 'It might be a success or a failure.' The prosecutor followed up: 'That anyone can hit the genetic jackpot?' Mr Walsh responded: 'It's possible.' Mr O'Doherty stressed: "No one is getting €14,000 on an unproven horse. This seems to be something like a Ponzi scheme.' Showing messages between the accused and the complainant, Mr O'Doherty said Ms O'Brien was "flat out lying to a vulnerable, elderly man". Said a 'friend and barrister' owned the horse In the messages to Mr Blake, Ms O'Brien refers to herself as buying Shakeel and naming her 'friend and barrister' Michael Egan as the owner. The reason for this, she explained in messages, was because 'nobody would take a woman seriously.' Mr O'Doherty asked him if he knew who Michael Egan is. He answered: 'He's like you — he's an eminent barrister.' Mr Walsh said the barrister transferred "money to France for Shakeel, this has nothing to do with him.' Mr O'Doherty asked the witness why in September 2019, his wife told Mr Blake the truth about the mare. Mr Walsh said: 'I don't know why, she spoke out of turn.' The court heard that Mr Walsh was arrested by gardaí in June 2020 and was informed that he would not be prosecuted in September 2021, a month before the purported settlement of €22,000. Mr O'Doherty said the settlement was "an attempt to frustrate a criminal prosecution.' Mr Walsh denied the claim to which Mr Doherty asked: 'Then why did he [Mr Blake] get €22,000?' Mr Walsh said: 'Well, that's what he agreed to!' Mr O'Doherty rejoined: 'The document might as well say 'mare called 'Shergar' for all the legal standing it has.' At this, Mr Walsh said: 'Shergar wasn't a mare! 'He agreed to that, he was very happy to accept that!' Contradictions in statements Mr O'Doherty raised a statement made by Mr Walsh to the gardaí in June 2025 and his initial statement in 2019. He noted a large number of contradictions between his statements and his oral testimony, particularly the year he gave as to when he met Mr Blake. Mr Walsh said: 'You don't have to have to be in every statement when you have a gentleman's agreement, or a lady's agreement, you don't have to put everything down.' When asked about several misspellings [he claimed to have mistakenly written down Shamalana as 'Shamalanna'] he told the court: 'I left school at 14 years of age. I wasn't privileged to get a first-, second-, third-level education.' He said in his Garda statement that he had been dealing with the accused 'for the last three, four years' and that their relationship was 'strictly business'. Mr O'Doherty asked him why he made that clarification, to which Mr Walsh said: 'You're defaming my character!' Mr Walsh said in September 2019, Mr Blake and his grandson left his home 'happily' after he told them that he would pay them a sum of €45,000. The trial continues on Thursday, with Ms O'Brien taking to the witness box to give evidence.
