The man who claimed to be a herbalist and sold his eczema cream to hundreds of customers around the State had no comment to make outside Newport District Court, Co Limerick, yesterday after his conviction and fines totalling £3,000.
One mother, however, Ms Deborah O'Shea, from Killarney, who was at the courthouse as a potential witness, said she was disappointed at the outcome, believing Donal Walsh got off lightly.
Her husband, Pat, said he should have received a prison sentence following the difficulties caused to his daughter, Rebecca.
Two days had been reserved for the case and Judge Tom O'Donnell noted that 17 witnesses were ready to give evidence if there was a full hearing. Credit had to be given, he said, for the plea of guilty despite it being at a late stage.
Last year, Walsh also faced charges at Uxbridge Magistrate's Court, England, of obtaining money by deceit by claiming his cream did not contain steroids. Before the case was eventually dropped, it had been adjourned nine times, with Walsh claiming he was unfit to stand trial.
As well as supplying by mail order, Walsh operated his business, Cherryfield Herbal Co, from Limerick city, and set up one-day stalls at hotels around the State.
In yesterday's case, two of the charges related to supplying the product to Ms O'Shea, who said afterwards she had travelled to a Co Cork hotel to purchase five jars of "Cherrydex". She had been told by word of mouth that the cream was "brilliant".
At the time, her two-month-old baby was suffering from eczema. Walsh had told her the cream was a natural product and that it did not matter if it got into her daughter's eyes or mouth. Over a period of about eight months, she spent a few hundred pounds, buying the product by mail order.
The eczema had cleared initially but then the cream had no effect and a rash developed. She brought the baby to a dermatologist who told her he suspected the baby had a steroid rash.
The baby suffered face swelling and other side-effects after being taken off the cream, and had her liver and kidneys tested. The baby, now aged two, still had eczema but it was much less severe than it had been.
Dr Frank Hallinan, chief executive of the Irish Medicines Board, said action would be taken against any companies or individuals breaching legislation on medicine. He thanked everybody who assisted in the investigation against Walsh. "Without the assistance of healthcare professionals and the public, the task of safeguarding public health would be more difficult," he said.