From horses to High Court rulings: the long history behind Catherine O’Brien’s crimes

A decade-long trail of fraud, court absences and shifting identities ended with Catherine O’Brien’s conviction and imprisonment

Catherine O'Brien at Waterford Circuit Court where she pleaded not guilty to three charges of deception regarding the purchase, transport and insurance of a French horse. File picture: Dan Linehan

On the evening Catherine O’Brien was brought to court to face deception charges in June 2024, it was a quiet Sunday in Clonmel.

The small number of people who walked past the court could not help but stare as the then 46-year-old Cork woman shuffled slowly into and out of the courthouse assisted by gardaí.