Carer took €150k from elderly couple and sent cryptocurrency to US soldier she met online
Angela Manning claims she converted the money to cryptocurrency and sent to a soldier in the US.
An elderly and vulnerable couple had more than €150,000 taken from their bank account — the majority of it unlawfully — by a woman they hired to be their carer, the High Court has heard.
In what was described as "a bizarre case" involving an alleged "breach of trust", Laetitia and Enda O'Regan secured a temporary High Court freezing order preventing Angela Manning from dissipating her assets below a value of €150,000.
The court heard that Ms Manning confessed to taking the couple's money, which she claims she converted to cryptocurrency.
She said she sent money to an American solider she met on social media, who said he needed cash to help pay for his daughter's medical care.
The freezing order was sought over fears that Ms Manning may seek to dissipate assets beyond the reach of the plaintiffs.
Brian Murray Bl, for the O'Regans, told the court that, without any explanation, significant sums of the couple's money also appears to have been spent by Ms Manning on her home in Ballinteer, Co Dublin, as well as at a toy store, on electrical goods, in supermarkets, and at various pharmacies.
A complaint has been made to the gardaí, counsel said.
The couple, from Terenure, Dublin, do not know what she has done with all of their cash, and are concerned as they require funds for their care.
At the High Court on Friday, Mr Justice Mark Sanfey made orders including a temporary injunction, known as a Mareva order, freezing Ms Manning's assets.
The order, which was granted on an ex-parte basis, prevents her from lowering her assets below a value of €150,000.
The judge said while she has a right to be heard on the allegations, he was satisfied from the nature of the serious claims made before the court to grant the freezing order.
The injunction, he said, is to remain in place pending further order from the court.
The judge also granted the parties liberty to return to court should any issue arise.
Seeking the freezing order, Mr Murray this was "a bizarre case" which involved a "deplorable breach of trust".
Ms Manning had initially been hired through an agency to care for Mr O'Regan, and the couple had a good relationship with her.
The O'Regans decided to hire her directly after she said she was leaving the agency and she was hired by his clients in early 2020.
The couple are aged in their late 70s and have significant health problems, counsel said. When the Covid-19 pandemic hit in early 2020, they cocooned.
Counsel said that the O'Regans gave Ms Manning their debit card to buy items, including groceries, for them. She was paid between €350 and €300 a week, and was also to take her wages from the account.
They were very reliant on her during the pandemic, counsel said.
The O'Regans had over €150,000 in their account in early 2020 when Ms Manning started working for them.
Counsel said that Ms Manning used the debit card to make large cash withdrawals from the account on a regular basis over an 85-week period.
Monies were also withdrawn during weeks when neither of the O'Regans required any purchases to be made on their behalf, counsel said.
When the couple, who were oblivious to what was happening with the funds, discovered what was happening in mid 2021 their account been reduced to a balance of just €7.33.
Ms Manning, counsel said, had defrauded the couple and unlawfully misappropriated their monies for her own use and enjoyment.
When confronted about the missing funds, Ms Manning said she had "met a US soldier on Facebook," who she said she "might be in love with," who "had a young daughter with cancer".
She said this man needed money so he could access funds from his pension to pay for his child's medical bills.
She was vague on the amount of money she sent and said that after this soldier was deployed to Afghanistan, another individual continued communicating with her, claiming more monies were required.
Ms Manning told Mrs O'Regan she was using the funds to buy cryptocurrency to those she was interacting with on Facebook.
Describing Ms Manning's explanations as bizarre, counsel said that his client told her that she was being scammed.
However, Ms Manning asked Mrs O'Regan not to tell anyone as the second man had promised her $350,000, in return for sending the monies.
That sum of money, Ms Manning said, was being transferred from the UN Secretary General to Garda Commissioner's Office.
Following her admission, Mrs O'Regan made a complaint to the gardaí.
Late last month, certain undertakings were sought from Ms Manning, including that she would not to dissipate her assets below €150,00 and that she would confirm the location of the title deeds of the house she jointly owns with her husband.
However, no response was made to their request, resulting in the O'Regans seeking the freezing orders from the court, the court heard.
The court heard that Ms Manning's husband, who had offered to repay "every cent" of the monies taken, did make contact with the O'Regans' solicitor.
Andrew Manning, who was initially unaware of the total amount allegedly taken from the O'Regans, offered to repay €40,000 to the couple.
He told the solicitor that his wife had converted some €57,000 of his monies into Bitcoin, adding that he may have to re-mortgage their home to repay the full amount allegedly owed.
However, contact ceased between the solicitor and Mr Manning after he said he had been advised that not to speak with the O'Regans' lawyers due to an ongoing Garda investigation.
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