The money was transferred into a Bank of Ireland account held by Mark Stephens. He said that Mr Stephens had run up a considerable debt and he attempted the scam out of desperation. Judge Colm Roberts said that injured party had clearly been caused stress and anxiety by what had happened to her. He accepted that both men had no previous convictions but said that he would have some concerns about the way Mr Stephens succumbed to temptation. He said that probation service supervision would probably be required for Mr Stephens and he also wished Mr Antony well with his cancer treatment.

Source: Irish Examiner July 01, 2024 15:27 UTC