Man, 68, tried to claim €4k bail cash

A man whose son had just been given a jail sentence was approached by a 68-year-old man who pretended that the sentenced man had actually been granted bail by the High Court and told them they should hand over €4,000 cash recognizance to him.

Letters purporting to be from a well-known Cork solicitor, as well as from the DPP, were used as part of the deception, the Circuit Criminal Court in Tralee was told.

Bernard Hassett of Burren View, Ballinruan, Crusheen, Co Clare, pretended he was a person with authority to accept cash, the Circuit Criminal Court in Tralee heard.

One of the letters purported to be from the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, and the second purported to be from the popular Cork solicitor Frank Buttimer.

Both forged letters were had the intention of inducing Gerard Casey, father of jailed man, Jamie Casey, to accept the bail order was genuine.

During the call over of the list yesterday, Tom Rice, prosecuting, described the charges as two of forgery and one of obtaining by deception and said that the case was to start yesterday and a jury would be required for a two-day trial.

However after a short recess, Mr Hassett pleaded guilty to the three charges under the Criminal Justice (Theft and Fraud Act), 2001.

The first count to which he pleaded guilty is that between March 25 and April 6, 2013, he “pretended an order had been made by the High Court admitting Jamie Casey to bail”, and that he was the person with authority to accept a cash lodgement of €4,000 required as a recognizance by the High Court.

Mr Hassett also pleaded guilty to two charges under Section 26 of the act — of writing a letter on April 1, 2013 purporting to be from the DPP, and of writing another letter on April 6, 2013, purporting to be from solicitor, Frank Buttimer, as part of the deception.

Brian McInerney, defence barrister, said he was seeking a report from the Probation Services, and he also applied for an extension of the legal aid certificate for a report from a psychologist — given the nature of the charges.

The barrister also said he would reserve his right to make an application at the sentencing which he suggested might be in December.

Judge Thomas E O’Donnell adjourned the matter to December, remanding Mr Hassett on continuing bail.

On February 26, 2013, 29-year-old Jamie Casey, of Balloonagh Estate in Tralee, was found guilty of threatening to kill or cause serious harm to two gardaí while in custody in the Garda station on two occasions in 2010 and not guilty of threatening to kill a third garda.

Casey, who is a father of two, said he had only been joking and he denied the charges. The four-day trial had been carried on a number of media outlets.

Sentencing took place on March 14, 2013, and he was handed down a five-year sentence, with two years suspended.