This man is NOT a garda
Criminal is wanted for burglaries committed right across the country
A CAREER criminal with more than 100 previous convictions is believed to be travelling around the country impersonating a plainclothes detective, the Irish Mail on Sunday has learned.
John ‘Buddy’ O’Brien is wanted in counties stretching from Cork to Donegal in connection with up to 10 burglaries against elderly people in recent months.
A warrant has been issued for his arrest but he has so far managed to evade detection by staying at
‘A warrant has been issued for his arrest’
various halting sites around the country.
It has emerged that O’Brien skipped his father’s funeral in recent weeks because he feared that he would be arrested at the church.
Instead, the MoS understands that he chose to watch the funeral on video over Skype.
A friend who was at the funeral called O’Brien on his smartphone and allowed him to watch the requiem Mass.
O’Brien is wanted by gardaí in counties stretching from the south to the north, including Cork, Clare, Limerick, Waterford, Mayo and Donegal.
Described as a career criminal, the 40-year-old, who is originally from Kerry but has a recent address in Limerick, has amassed 102 previous convictions.
A lot of those are for burglary and theft, with others for road traffic offences.
O’Brien is currently suspected of up to 10 burglaries around the country.
A source told the MoS: ‘A man has been travelling the country and conning mostly elderly victims out of cash. It is believed he is the career criminal O’Brien.
‘A warrant has been issued for his arrest, but he has so far managed to remain at large.
‘He is moving around the country, staying at halting sites. His father died at the end of January and rather than attend the funeral he opted to watch it on Skype.
‘He knew he would be arrested for all the burglaries, so he chose to give it a miss.’
O’Brien is suspected of duping his victims by posing as a plainclothes detective, before conning his way into their homes and stealing money.
In one incident, it is alleged that he stole a sum of money from an elderly man in the midlands after producing identification that suggested he was a garda investigating the use of counterfeit money.
His victim allowed the impostor into the house and showed him any cash that he had.
In other instances, it is alleged that he concocted similar plausible stories, such as reviewing security. It is thought he is travelling the country in a black car and is carrying some sort of identification that purports to show he is a garda. O’Brien is described as 5ft, 8in. in height and of stocky build. He has black hair and blue eyes and a mole on his lips. He has a number of tattoos, including an Indian ink dot under his left eye, a tattoo of the word ‘mum’ on his lower right arm and a tattoo of a cross on his lower left arm.
Anyone with information regarding his whereabouts is asked to contact the gardaí.
A person convicted of impersonating a member of An Garda Síochána faces a maximum sentence of five years’ imprisonment if prosecuted on indictment.
‘He is moving around, staying at halting sites’