Gallagher said 'rough people' took paintings, court hears

A few days after selling three paintings he allegedly stole from the Fitzwilliam Hotel, celebrity chef Conrad Gallagher told its general manager they had been taken from him by 'rough people', Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard today.

The jury at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard on the second day of Gallagher's trial that he sold the three Felim Egan abstract paintings in issue for an advance of Ir£9,000 to a fine art auctioneer on November 21, 2000 but made the "rough people" robbery claim on November 24, 2000.