Man denies historical replicas fraud

An educational supplies businessman was put on trial yesterday on charges of deception arising out of complaints that 15 primary schools paid him €250 for a set of replicas of historical artefacts but never received them.

The historical sets were to have included models of 17 items including the Ardagh chalice, a beehive hut, Gallarus oratory, a dolmen and the Book of Kells, reproduced at a factory in China.

Brendan O’Callaghan, aged 44, of 8, O’Sullivan’s Place, Mallow, Co Cork, pleaded not guilty to all 15 counts against him before a jury yesterday at Cork Circuit Criminal Court. The charges relate to dates in 2009 and 2010.