A former bank manager who had to refund nearly €600,000 to the Revenue Commissioners in unpaid tax and interest has escaped with a fine and a suspended prison sentence at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Ronald Martin (66), of Kilmolin, Enniskerry, Co Wicklow, and a native of Co Cork, pleaded guilty to four counts of failing to make proper tax returns from 1999 to 2004.
Det Garda Henry Ainsworth of the Criminal Assets Bureau (Cab) told Dominic McGinn he raided the former Bank of Ireland manager's house in January 2006 as part of an investigation into 22 companies suspected of been involved in criminal activities.
Det Ainsworth said Mr Martin had done some work for one of these companies but aside from the revenue offences he was not suspected of being involved in criminal activity himself.
Judge Desmond Hogan said although it was a very serious matter, it was "at the lower scale of revenue offences" and Martin was unlikely to reoffend.
He imposed a two-year prison term but suspended it for three years on a bond of good behaviour. He fined him €4,000, giving him nine months to pay or 14 days in default.
Det Ainsworth said that when searching Martin's home, Cab officers found boxes containing details of employment he had held and found no tax had been paid on his income since 1999. He was arrested and questioned and admitted he was working as a freelance financial adviser and accountant and had knowingly failed to file tax returns. Det Ainsworth said that when Martin stopped working with Bank of Ireland he "fell off the radar" and it was only when they were investigating a different matter they realised he was avoiding income tax.
Sean Gillane, defending, said Martin had since refunded the Revenue €572,649 in taxes and interest and was now a "chastened man", living on the €212 weekly State pension.
Mr Gillane said Martin had left the bank in 1989 to join a consultancy firm but was forced to abandon these plans when his marriage broke down and he had to look after his three children.
He said he eventually "got back on his feet" and started to do freelance work for companies but failed to regularise his situation with the Revenue.