A former soldier who pretended to be a landlord took €1,180 from a woman for rent on a non-existent apartment, a court heard yesterday.
Thomas Geoghegan (46), Castlewood Avenue, Rathmines, Dublin, pleaded guilty to two counts of deception on August 2nd and 3rd last.
Dublin District Court heard he pretended he had an apartment in Clonskeagh to rent and met the woman on the first day. He took €1,000 "rent" from her before agreeing to meet her the next day to give her the keys.
When they met again, Geoghegan asked for another €180 in "legal fees" and was given it before he handed her a set of keys.
The woman went to the address she was given, at Riverside, Clonskeagh, but found there was no apartment corresponding to the number she had been given.
She also tried the keys on one of the apartments, but they did not work.
Det Garda Thomas Gormley said the woman subsequently tried to contact Geoghegan on numerous occasions without success. He was arrested later and made a statement admitting the deception.
The court heard he had four previous convictions including two for theft dating back to 1987.
He had worked as a trucker after leaving the Army but lost his job after becoming an alcoholic, for which he was now receiving treatment.
Judge Derek McVeigh said he was not impressed, that Geoghegan had made no effort to compensate the victim nearly eight months since he carried out this "mean-spirited" crime.
He was facing a prison sentence unless he came up with €1,180 plus €150 witness expenses for the victim. Judge McVeigh adjourned sentence to June 14th for a probation report and payment of compensation.