Meath broker defrauded company of €109k

A Co Meath insurance broker who carried out a €109,000 life insurance fraud has been ordered to perform 240 hours unpaid work in the community in addition to a four-year suspended sentence.

Clare Dooley, aged 43, committed the offences following a failed business venture in 2011. The former financial advisor later founded Drogheda, Co Louth-based company Moneybloom, which offered to help restructure loans for those in mortgage distress.

Dooley, of Hillcrest, Julianstown, Co Meath, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to 10 counts of making and using false declaration forms at New Ireland Assurance plc, Dawson St, Dublin, and in the State between November 23, 2010, and September 27, 2011. She has no previous convictions.

She took out 38 fictitious policies to be paid commission totalling €109,000. The insurance company has since been repaid the money and nobody is at a loss.

Between 2001 and 2014, Dooley spoke regularly on NewsTalk radio on personal finance issues, advising callers on debt and other financial issues.

Judge Desmond Hogan had indicated last October that he would give her a four- year suspended sentence and order her to carry out community service should the Probation Service find her suitable. He adjourned the finalisation of the sentence to yesterday pending a probation report.

Judge Hogan retired last month and yesterday Judge Martin Nolan received a favourable probation report.

He confirmed Judge Hogan’s order, imposing a four-year sentence which he suspended in full on condition that Dooley carry out the community service within 12 months.

He noted from Lorcan Staines, defending, that Dooley was awaiting a medical certificate to confirm she was fit to carry out the work. The judge said if she was not medically fit the suspended sentence still stood.

Judge Hogan commented at the sentence hearing last October that Dooley’s reputation had been “sullied to a considerable extent” and she was unlikely to come before the courts again. He said there had been a breach of trust involving a large amount of money but there had been no loss involved.

Garda Niamh Seberry told Maddie Grant BL, prosecuting, that a complaint was made to gardaí in February 2013 by New Ireland Assurance regarding 38 fictitious life insurance policies that had been taken out by Dooley using false information.

Dooley had a financial services company and was working as an intermediary between clients and the insurance company. She sent in the application forms and received commission on the policies.

The company began an investigation in 2011 after noticing a huge rise in the commission paid to Dooley in a short period. Dooley had been paid €109,000 in commission from the 38 policies.

Dooley was arrested and interviewed after garda searches at her home and business unearthed relevant documentation. The people who were named in the polices were unaware they had been taken out and were not at a loss.

Mr Staines submitted that the motive had not been permanent theft of the money and that she would ultimately not have profited from the offences.

He said she and her husband were in severe financial difficulties in 2011 following a failed business venture.