Former Kilkenny hurler DJ Carey jailed for 'reprehensible' cancer fraud

DJ Carey pleaded guilty to 10 counts of dishonestly inducing others to pay money to him after fraudulently claiming to have cancer

The judge noted DJ Carey (pictured) was 'one of best known hurlers ever' whose reputation has been destroyed. File photo

Former Kilkenny hurler DJ Carey has been jailed for five-and-a-half years for the “reprehensible” defrauding of almost €400,000 from over 20 people while pretending to have cancer.

Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that the former GAA All-Star defrauded in total €394,127 and $13,000 from the injured parties over a period between 2014 and 2022. €44,200 has been repaid, leaving €349,927 and $13,000 outstanding.

Carey, aged 54, pleaded guilty to 10 counts of dishonestly inducing others to pay money to him after fraudulently claiming to have cancer.

A further eight charges of dishonestly inducing others to pay money and two counts of using a false instrument with the intention of inducing another to accept it as genuine were taken into consideration by the court.

Carey, with an address before the court of The Drive, Newtown, Maynooth, Co Kildare, told injured parties that he had cancer and needed money as he was undergoing treatment in Seattle.

Imposing sentence on Monday, Judge Martin Nolan said Carey “took advantage of people's good nature and goodwill towards him”. The judge said this was a “very low fraud” and Carey's behaviour was “reprehensible” and “very serious”.

He said Carey promised to repay money, but “he knew at the time he could never repay the money”.

Judge Nolan said the injured parties “must have looked in the mirror and said 'how foolish am I?'” But he said they were “good-natured people” who had lost money and possibly some of their faith in other people.

The judge noted Carey was “one of best known hurlers ever” whose reputation has been destroyed. He noted the mitigation included Carey's guilty plea and co-operation with gardaí.

The judge imposed a global sentence of five-and-a-half years, having set a global headline sentence of eight to 10 years. The judge handed Carey a four-year sentence and a consecutive one-and-a-half year sentence.

Judge Nolan said the court “cannot imagine a more reprehensible form” of fraud, other than a person deceiving 17 or 18 very elderly people.

Carey, dressed in a plum-coloured tartan blazer, dark coloured trousers, a blue striped shirt and patterned tie, made no reaction as sentence was imposed.

The court was standing room only as the sentence was finalised.