‘Ballsbridge Baron’ faces threat of jail over address
FORMER ‘Baron of Ballsbridge’ Seán Dunne is now facing jail for failing to reveal his home address to a bankruptcy official.
The escalating pressure comes after the official applied to the High Court on Monday to have former property developer Mr Dunne sent to prison for failing to pay back his creditors.
Judge Teresa Pilkington heard yesterday that Mr Dunne did not want to give his address for fear it would be leaked to the media.
Edward Farrelly SC, for official assignee Christopher Lehane, said: ‘He has cited concerns about press intrusion, and the privacy of his family and young children.’ But Mr Farrelly said Mr Dunne was legally obliged under the terms of his bankruptcy to reveal any changes in his home address to Mr Lehane.
Judge Pilkington ordered Mr Dunne to reveal the address where he currently lives to Mr Lehane by 1pm today. She said it would be kept off the court file. She said if he failed to comply, Mr Lehane could serve legal papers notifying Mr Dunne of the prison threat.
Mr Dunne was declared bankrupt here and in the US in 2013 over debts of €164million.
His Irish bankruptcy has been extended for 12 years due to his failure to co-operate with Mr Lehane.
On Monday, the judge granted Mr Dunne two weeks to respond to the application to jail him for contempt of court, for failing to comply with the terms of his bankruptcy order.
The former developer was ordered in 2018 to make monthly payments of €7,000, for his creditors. These payments were due from November 2018 to July 2021.
But Mr Lehane said Mr Dunne had made no payments, and was now €112,000 in arrears, and therefore guilty of contempt of court.
Mr Lehane noted that in July 2019, Mr Dunne tried to alter the order, claiming he only had an income of €200 a month to live on, and that he was not able to pay. But Mr Lehane said this was ‘manifestly untrue’.
On Monday, Judge Pilkington had allowed Mr Dunne’s solicitors to cease representing him. But she asked them to undertake to give Mr Lehane’s legal team a valid email and home address for Mr Dunne.
Yesterday, Mr Farrelly said the Gmail address given had elicited a response from Mr Dunne. However, he said the address given, in Berkshire, England, appeared to be the address of a registered office.
David Lynch, of legal firm OBH Partners, said he only had consent from Mr Dunne to give his postal address.
Cited concerns about privacy