‘Roofing racket’ man spared jail for deceiving elderly person out of €4k

A Killarney man involved in “a roofing racket” and who has previous convictions for deceiving elderly people in Cork City, was yesterday spared jail for a further deception of an elderly person, this time near his home town, because of “the incapacity” of one of his children.

Patrick O’Brien, aged 34, of 122 Ballyspillane, Killarney, a married father of three, last week pleaded guilty to two counts of making a gain by deception of a now 90-year-old man near Killarney, leading him to believe his flat roof needed repairs involving €4,400. The incidents took place on July 23 and 25, 2013.

At the Circuit Criminal Court in Tralee,