Cork woman to be sentenced for deceiving man she met on dating website

Catherine O’Brien 'dishonestly by deception' induced John Blake to pay €20,000 to purchase a horse, €1,100 insurance, and €984 to transport the horse from France to Ireland. Picture: Dan Linehan

Catherine O’Brien will be sentenced on Wednesday after being found guilty of deceiving a man she met on a dating website.

The Buttevant native, with an address at An Ghrianan, Ballinroad, Dungarvan, Co Waterford, was found guilty by a jury in July on three charges relating to the deception of John Blake, a Dublin man she met through the dating website Plenty of Fish.

A jury took just 40 minutes to find her guilty of three charges relating to the purchase, transport, and insurance of a French mare called Lingreville.

It was alleged that she “dishonestly by deception” induced Mr Blake to pay €20,000 to purchase the horse — which the State alleged was not purchased; to pay €1,100 insurance for the mare — which the State said was not paid; and €984 to transport the horse from France to Ireland — which the State said was not transported.

Ms O’Brien had pleaded not guilty to the three charges of making gain or causing loss by deception contrary to Section 6 of the Criminal Justice (Theft and Fraud Offences) Act 2001.

'Well of deceit'

O’Brien’s trial heard she had claimed she was looking for a pen pal situation when she connected with Mr Blake online. 

In summing up the prosecution’s case, counsel for the State, Conor O’Doherty, told the jury Mr Blake had been drawn into a “well of deceit” by Ms O’Brien.

He referenced a settlement document which was signed by Mr Blake, Ms O’Brien, and Ms O’Brien’s business associate John Walsh, of Bishopstown Stud, Lismore, Co Waterford, on October 14, 2021.

The document said the horse purchased by Mr Blake was a brood mare called Shamalana, which had been “incorrectly named in purchase negotiations with Mr Blake as Lingreville” and he would receive €22,000, which was paid to him the following day.

Mr O’Doherty said if the condition for Mr Blake getting €22,000 back “was to say he stole Shergar, I think he would have signed it". 

He said Ms O’Brien’s evidence and that of defence witness, Lismore stud farmer John Walsh, did not tally with each other. 

He also said there were no documents produced in court by Ms O’Brien to support her evidence.