Catherine O'Brien convinced man to spend €40k on horses but deferred meeting him, court hears

Ms O’Brien assured John Blake, who she met on an online dating site, that an investment in breeding rights to a stallion called Shakeel, which she said she owned, was a 'zero-risk' investment

Catherine O’Brien of Dungarvan, Co Waterford, has pleaded not guilty to charges of making gain or causing loss by deception. Picture: Dan Linehan

A woman charged with fraud convinced a man she met on an online dating site to spend more than €40,000 on racehorses but deferred meeting him for many months while suffering calamitous “bad luck”.

Catherine O’Brien assured John Blake that an investment in breeding rights to a thoroughbred stallion called Shakeel, which she said she owned, was a lucrative “zero risk” investment. She then convinced him to buy a mare called Lingreville from France for €20,000 to breed with the stallion.