Man in court over raid at home of lottery winner’s son
The appearance of Jeffrey Lee, aged 41, of Cosgrove Park, Moyross, Limerick, at Ennis District Court, followed a major Garda operation on Wednesday that resulted in the arrest of Mr Lee and three others with addresses in Clare and Limerick.
The four, that included one teenager and two men in their 20s, were detained for questioning at Garda stations in Killaloe, Ennis, and Shannon, and Det Garda Bernard Casey told the court yesterday that Mr Lee made no reply when charged with theft at Tinerana House, Killaloe, on dates between Aug 17 and Sept 14.
The property is the home of Gary McNamara and his wife, Michelle. They purchased the home for €1.46m at the end of January. It is understood that the McNamaras paid an additional €2m for 270 acres of surrounding lands in the estate on the shores of Lough Derg that includes 2.3km of frontage onto the lake.
No one was living in the 19th century, 16-bedroom home at the time of the alleged burglary, and gardaí last month discovered that a number of fittings in the house, including taps, chandeliers, and copper were missing.
Dolores McNamara lives nearby at Lough Derg Hall which she bought for €1.7m in 2005 — the same year she won €115m with a €2 quickpick ticket.
In court yesterday, Insp John O’Sullivan said that Gardaí had no objection to Mr Lee being remanded in custody with consent to bail. Insp O’Sullivan said that as part of Mr Lee’s bail conditions, he must reside at 25 Cosgrave Park, Moyross Limerick; stay out of Co Clare and Ballina, Co Tipperary; provide his own bond of €100, and an independent surety of €1,000.
Judge Patrick Durcan granted legal aid in the case to Mr Lee’s solicitor, Tara Godfrey.
Insp O’Sullivan said Mr Lee was not in a position to take up bail yesterday and asked that he be remanded in custody to appear to Ennis District Court on Oct 16.
The three others arrested in connection with theprobe have been released without charge with a file to be sent to the DPP.
The house was bought by the McNamaras from Nama-appointed receivers, PWC. Nama appointed the receivers to Tinerana Ltd last year after the firm failed to progress a €100m plan to develop a leisure resort at the property that included plans for a hotel and leisure complex, an 18-hole golf course, and equestrian holiday village.
The scheme was refused planning permission by An Bord Pleanála.
Tinarana was previously a health farm owned by Dr Paschal Carmody and his wife, Dr Frieda Carmody. Dr Carmody was acquitted in Ennis Circuit Criminal Court earlier this year of the final remaining charges relating to obtaining money by deception from the families of terminally ill cancer patients.
In 2006, he sold the site to Tinarana for between €10m and €12m.
