Lawyers for woman, 60, say fiance's claim a 'ruse' in fraud case
Lawyers for a 60-year-old American woman, who claims her younger Irish fiancé defrauded her out of millions, have said his defence that he was authorised to take the money is a "ruse".
Thomas J Queally - who lives in New York but is originally from Lahaknock, Kilmaley, Co Clare - denies he was ever engaged to Elisa Rodino or that he was unauthorised to take the money.
New Yorker Elisa Rodino claims her former partner Queally, swindled her out of $4m, a large portion of which he lodged into a bank in Ennis, Co Clare.
She also claims that Mr Queally was leading a double life and had another fiancée while engaged to her.
Last month Ms Rodino's lawyers secured temporary freezing orders stopping him from reducing the €1.6m held in the Permanent TSB account in Ennis.
Today her senior counsel John O'Donnell told the court that Mr Queally maintains he had blanket authorisation to access her accounts, but that this was a ruse to allow him help himself to monies when their backs were turned.
Mr O'Donnell informed Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy that the case may require a full hearing.
A trial date may be fixed when the matter comes back to court on Tuesday.
