Former Kilkenny hurler DJ Carey has been charged with a number of counts of deception and forgery as part of an alleged cancer treatment scam.
Mr Carey appeared at Blanchardstown District Court on Friday, where he stood with his hands clasped before him facing Judge John O’Leary.
He is charged with 21 fraud offences – 19 of deception and two of using a false instrument. Among those he is alleged to have defrauded are billionaire businessman Denis O’Brien, retired Wexford hurler Larry O’Gorman and former Clare hurler Tony Griffin.
Mr Carey was granted bail on a range of conditions, including signing on at a Garda station and keeping the gardaí informed about any travel abroad.
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The court sent the case forward to the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on November 3rd next, after being told that a book of evidence was being served on Mr Carey.
Free legal aid was granted following an application from solicitor Edward Hughes, with the judge remarking that from the information given to him it appeared Mr Carey had “no income whatsoever”.
Mr Hughes said the case was likely to be a “heavily documented prosecution” with very difficult charges to defend. Mr Carey has not yet entered a plea.
The nine-time All-Star hurler, who won five All-Ireland senior titles, is accused of “dishonestly by deception” inducing Mr O’Brien to give him money to pay for cancer treatment on unknown dates between January 1st, 2014 and September 18th, 2022 contrary to Section 6 of the Criminal Justice (Theft and Fraud Offences) Act 2001. The amount of money involved was not disclosed during the brief court hearing.
He is accused of committing the same offence against Ann Kelsey on unknown dates between May 1st, 2022 and December 31st, 2022; Owen and Ann Conway on unknown dates between March 25th, 2021 and November 3rd, 2022; Mark and Sharon Kelly on unknown dates between May 26th, 2021 and December 10th, 2022; Larry O’Gorman on unknown dates between October 1st, 2021 and December 13th, 2022; Peadar Hughes on unknown dates between February 1st, 2022 and March 14th, 2022; and Aidan Mulligan on unknown dates between June 1st, 2022 and September 22nd, 2022.
Mr Carey is accused of committing the same offence against Edwin Carey on unknown dates between December 21st, 2021 and November 12th, 2022; Donal Carroll on unknown dates between October 6th, 2021 and March 9th, 2022; Mr Griffin and Christy Browne on unknown dates between September 1st, 2022 and October 26th, 2022; Margaret and Gerard Kirwan on unknown dates between June 5th, 2021 and June 21st, 2022; Thomas Butler on unknown dates between October 1st, 2019 and November 11th, 2022; Jeffrey Howes on unknown dates between February 1st, 2022 and August 8th, 2022; and Noel Tynan on unknown dates between January 1st, 2017 and October 12th, 2022.
He is also accused of committing the same offence against Brendan Fleming, on unknown dates between January 1st, 2019 and December 7th, 2020; Sean Murray on unknown dates between January 1st, 2019 and December 23rd, 2020; Patrick Somers on unknown dates between August 22nd and October 18th, 2022; Aonghus Leydon on unknown dates between March 14th, 2022 and March 21st, 2022; and Tom Brennan on unknown dates between December 4th, 2020 and May 31st, 2022.
None of the monetary amounts involved were disclosed during the hearing.
Mr Carey is also accused of two counts of using “a false instrument with the intention of inducing another person to accept it as genuine” on unknown dates between January 1st, 2014 and September 18th, 2022 at an unknown location within the State.
