Insurance con a mix of ‘deceit and stupidity’

An attempt by a former credit union director to con an insurance company by claiming that his Mercedes had been hijacked and stolen was yesterday described by a judge as being somewhere between deliberate deceit and crass stupidity.

Pat Laffan, a 61-year-old father of four from Tullovin, Croom, in Co Limerick, pleaded guilty at Limerick Circuit Court to a charge of trying to make gain by deceit on the sum of €52,000 from Axa insurance.

Evidence was given that Laffan owned a 12 C reg Mercedes, on which he had taken out a policy with Axa.