Fraudster swapped Apple goods for water and paper

A sleight of hand saw a black bag containing an iPhone, iPod, and iPad being replaced with a similar bag containing nothing more valuable than two bottles of water and some paper.

Inspector Ronan Kennelly said at Cork District Court yesterday that through this type of two-card trick the injured party was conned out of handing over €750 to Patrick Maughan of 19 Newlands Manor Green, Clondalkin, Dublin.

Maughan pleaded guilty to the theft yesterday. He had four similar convictions for offences related to theft, handling stolen property and fraud.