INSURANCE FRAUD DAD HELPED TO FAKE CRASH
A DAD-OF-FIVE helped stage a fake car crash for insurance fraud purposes because he had a drug debt of over €100,000, a court has heard.
Thomas O’Neill (47) appeared along with Ann Wilson (44) and Deirdre Mellor (54) at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court yesterday at a sentencing hearing relating to the claim surrounding the two-vehicle collision, which took place in Rathfarnham in 2013.
O’Neill, of Glenmore Green, Ballyboden, Dublin, admitted one count of deception.
Imposing sentence, Judge Martin Nolan said O’Neill was an active participant in the fraud and handed him a two-year jail term for his role.
The charges relating to Wilson, O’Neill’s partner, occurred between February 1, 2013 and July 15, 2014.
The court heard a
Circuit Civil Court case was taken for personal injuries where Wilson, of
Ledwill Park, Kilcock, Co
Kildare, received €21,595 for herself and €14,000 in respect of her son. Judge
Nolan will sentence her tomorrow.
O’Neill’s sister, Mellor, of Park na Greine,
Tallaght, Dublin, was a passenger in the other car. She pleaded guilty to attempted deception and received a suspended two-year prison sentence. She did not proceed with a claim as it was statute-barred.
Investigation
The court heard AXA Insurance conducted an investigation and established from social media that the parties in both cars knew each other.
Detective Garda Kevin Bowen told the court that the offences arose from a staged road traffic incident at the Ballycullen Roundabout, Woodstown, when a white Toyota was rear-ended by a Mazda on February 4, 2013. There were no injuries at the time and the accident was not reported to gardai.
The cars were examined by an independent company on behalf of AXA Insurance and the insurance firm also got a tip-off by phone call, telling them not to proceed with the claims.
The court was told that O’Neill, described as a “functioning addict with a strong work history”, had a drug debt of over €100,000 at the time of the incident and had been approached and told it would be reduced if he took part.