'If you go to DoneDeal you will be done,' says Cork judge in deception case

The accused admitted to not delivering tickets after payment had been received and to stealing post from two postal workers

The court heard a man arranged to send €180 to a ticket seller on the DoneDeal site, but the tickets never arrived. File photo: Dan Linehan

The merits of the DoneDeal website were discussed by a Circuit Court Judge and a detective during a case where a man was duped into paying €180 for tickets he never received.

Detective Garda Mike Dillane said that on November 3, 2017, a man browsing the DoneDeal site saw tickets available for an upcoming event. He arranged to send €180 to the seller, Derek O’Mahoney, but the tickets never arrived.

Judge Seán Ó Donnabháin remarked: “If you go to DoneDeal you will be done.” Det. Garda Dillane said: “Or you will get a deal.” The judge laughed and said: “Touché.” 

28-year-old Derek O’Mahoney of 52 Meadowlands, Broomfield, Midleton, County Cork, pleaded guilty to deception by offering tickets which were then not delivered after payment had been received.

The same defendant pleaded guilty to other offences also at Cork Circuit Criminal Court.

He admitted that on June 7, 2019, he stole post from the locked car of a postwoman delivering post in the Midleton area.

Det. Garda Dilllane said the postwoman parked her car when she was delivering post and returned about 15 minutes later and found that some parcels were missing from her vehicle. The injured party described a person in a Silver Yaris car in the area at the time.

Similarly, a week later another postal worker travelling by bicycle had post stolen from the panier of his bicycle at Broomfield in Midleton and shortly beforehand he had spotted a Silver Yaris in the area.

O’Mahoney had some convictions for deception in the past. Niamh Stewart defence barrister said: “He admitted everything. 

He had mental health issues. He brought €3,000 compensation before the court. He is working full time.

The judge ordered that €500 of this money would be paid to the man who was deceived on the DoneDeal site back in 2017. The name of the event he had hoped to see on that occasion was not indicated.

Det. Garda Dillane said it had not been possible to determine the value of the post which was taken by the accused. In that event the judge ordered that the remaining €2,500 would be sent to the St. Vincent de Paul Society in Midleton.