Date for Breifne O’Brien fraud trial to be set in June

A date for the trial of businessman Breifne O'Brien will be set next June once his judicial review has been heard in the High Court.

Mr O’Brien (51), of Kilmore, Monkstown Grove, in south Co Dublin, faces 19 charges of theft of sums totalling about €11 million from five individuals and 19 charges for deception of the same people, which allegedly occurred between 2006 and 2008.

Further charges allege deception involving €1.9 million.

Peter McCullough BL, defending, told Dublin Circuit Criminal Court that a judicial review on the matter is scheduled to take place over two days later this month.

Judge Mary Ellen Ring said the court was anxious to set a trial date on the next occasion.

Defence counsel said the amount of evidence disclosed is about 10,000 pages.

The allegations of deception involve five people namely Martin O'Brien, Pat Doyle, Evan Newall, Louis Dowley and Daniel Maher. It is alleged that about €4m was stolen from Mr Dowley, a Tipperary dairy farmer.