Computer expert pays back €3,560 stolen on forged credit card details

A computer expert who stole thousands of euro worth of property by buying it on the internet with forged credit card details yesterday repaid the full amount of compensation outstanding in his case — €3,560.

Cormac Haydon, 22, who had been living in a flat at 27 St Patrick’s Hill, Cork, and now living in Carlow was before Cork District Court where he handed over the money through his solicitor, Emma Leahy.

Ms Leahy referred Judge Malone to the probation report on the accused which she described as very positive.

The judge read the report and decided that the best way to deal with the case was to put Haydon on a probation bond for the next 12 months.

He previously confessed to 12 separate charges. Haydon admitted six theft charges and six counts of dishonestly operating his computer to cause a loss for someone or to make a gain for himself between April 2011 and February 2012.

Det Garda James Bugler said that in one of the transactions for instance Haydon ordered over €2,000 worth of music equipment from a company in Limerick over the internet by putting in various credit card details. The property was later delivered to a false name, and the defendant signed for receipt of the property in that false name.

This modus operandi was used several times until suspicions were raised and the matter reported to gardaí.

On February 28, 2012 there was a delivery of goods to his house — which at the time was at Stratton Pines in Bishopstown and again he signed in the false name. This time the gardaí were present to witness the crime.

Investigators found 30 credit card names and details in the defendant’s two laptops, both of which were seized.