Con man leased Dublin apartment to 12 different tenants

A man who defrauded 12 potential tenants of almost €30,000 in an South Dublin apartment scam has been remanded on bail pending sentence by Judge Katherine Delahunt at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.

Joseph O'Connor (aged 48) of Decies Road, Ballyfermot, pleaded guilty to five sample charges of inducing named people to pay him either €1,150 or €2,300 for the lease of an apartment in Ballsbridge, Dublin 4, on dates between April 15 and April 18, 2006.

His previous convictions included offences of larceny, theft and fraud, and road traffic. He is awaiting sentence in Carlow Circuit Criminal Court in relation to another fraud offence carried out in Kilkenny.

Inspector Colm O'Malley told Ms Caroline Biggs BL, prosecuting, that the apartment was on the books of a city centre auctioneers and another person leased it from them using false documents relating to a real person. Garda were satisfied that this person knew nothing about the scheme and that O’Connor was not authorised to lease the property.

The apartment was then advertised in both national newspapers and websites with a mobile number for interested parties to contact.

O'Connor, purporting to be a man named Alan Brogan, then showed each of the potential tenants around the apartment before meeting them in various pubs or cafes around Dublin. He handed them keys, a lease and a digital code for the apartment after taking deposits and one month's rent in advance.

When these people turned up at the apartment they found that neither the keys nor the digital code worked and gardaí were contacted.

Insp O'Malley said gardaí received confidential information identifying O'Connor as the culprit and he was arrested in Clondalkin on March 9, 2007.

Mr Sean Gillane BL, defending, told Judge Delahunt that "the heart of this deceit" was that it preyed upon people who wanted to live in this desirable apartment in an affluent part of Dublin.

He said that these people, who later told gardaí they had been suspicious of O’Connor because he smelled of alcohol, had shaking hands and had spent each meeting drinking heavily, "suspended their beliefs" to lease the property.

Mr Gillane said that his client was now attending alcohol anonymous and had been housed by the Simon Community in Dublin city centre.

Judge Delahunt adjourned the case to next May to allow the outstanding offences O'Connor is facing to be dealt with.