Ex-employee tells fraud trial of ‘day everything went horribly wrong’

The theft and fraud trial of Thomas Byrne has heard of the day “everything went horribly wrong” for the former solicitor when one of his employees reported him to the authorities.

Barbara Cooney was an assistant solicitor in Mr Byrne’s Walkinstown firm when she allegedly discovered that Mr Byrne had forged her signature on a document related to a €4.5m loan from the Irish Nationwide Building Society.

Ms Cooney told the court that she felt threatened and scared while in the office after making the discovery. She said Mr Byrne and his business partner, John Kelly, both pleaded with her not to go to the Law Society about the forged signature, and that Mr Kelly told her that Mr Byrne was suicidal and an alcoholic.