Men plead guilty over fraudulent land deal

A struck-off solicitor and an elderly businessman will be sentenced shortly for defrauding a bank of almost €9m to buy land now worth €30,000.

Former solicitor John Duffy, 44, sent false letters to Investec Bank on behalf of Tony McAuliffe, 78, to get a loan for 55 acres of land in Co Offaly in 2007.

Through Duffy, McAuliffe promised the bank he had a buyer with a €7m deposit for the land and its sand and gravel deposits.

The plan was to sell the property to the buyer, a firm called Conway Clarke, for €17m.

Detective Sergeant Pat Linehan revealed Conway Clarke was a company set up with McAuliffe’s daughter, Sharon Clarke, and a friend, mechanic Martin Conway, acting as directors.

Mr Conway told investigators he knew he was in over his head and only got involved to help out McAuliffe.

He said he signed a cheque and was promised it would never be cashed when he found out it was for €7m. McAuliffe, a former jockey of Furze, Kildare and Duffy, of Clogheen, Monasterevin, Co Kildare, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to dishonestly obtaining a loan from Investec Bank with intent of making gain in March, 2007.

They have no previous convictions.

Both defence counsel asked the judge to consider a suspended sentence. Judge Reynolds adjourned the matter until the end of this month and remanded McAuliffe and Duffy on continuing bail.