The former assistant manager for Dublin City and County is now "effectively destitute" after paying the Revenue Commissioners over £780,000 in tax, interest and penalties, a court has heard.
The comment was made by Mr Patrick MacEntee SC, counsel for George Redmond. Redmond pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to 10 charges of failing to make tax returns for the years 1988 to 1998.
Redmond (75), of Deerpark Lawns, Castleknock, Dublin, married with two children, originally signed the guilty pleas in Dublin District Court on December 12th last.
He confirmed them yesterday before Judge Frank O'Donnell at the Circuit Criminal Court. He had no previous convictions.
Mr Patrick Gageby SC, prosecuting, said the penalties for the offences were a five-year sentence or a £10,000 fine or both on each charge. The jail sentence did not appear mandatory.
Judge O'Donnell adjourned sentence to next Thursday and remanded Redmond on continuing bail, which was set by Judge Clare Leonard at the District Court as his own bail of £500 and £500 independent bail put up by his son.
The District Court was also told he had surrendered his passport and had undertaken not to seek another one.
The charges under the Tax Consolidation Act arise from his arrest with a bag containing nearly £300,000 at Dublin Airport on February 20th, 1999, by officers of the Criminal Assets Bureau.
Det Insp Pat Byrne told Mr Gageby that, acting on confidential information received the previous day, he arrested Redmond after his arrival on a flight from the Isle of Man.
Det Insp. Byrne said Redmond retired from the public service in June 1989.
Investigations revealed he had accumulated large sums of money which had been moved offshore in 1996.
He was obliged like all citizens to declare the income from these sums to the Revenue Commissioners but had not done so, and this was the basis of the charges.
Redmond's accounts for the years 1988 and 1998, as well as for some 10 years previously, were scrutinised by the Revenue Commissioners. He had since paid some £782,000 to the Revenue and was now fully tax-compliant.
Det Insp. Byrne agreed with Mr MacEntee that Redmond was contrite and co-operated fully with gardai.
He was in poor health, and his payment to the Revenue included the sale of the family home where he had resided for 30 years with his 72-year-old wife.
Mr MacEntee said Redmond was now effectively "destitute" and had been "ruined" by these events.
He had suffered a stroke in 1982 and had a recurrence in 1991 although he had recovered well by his own rehabilitation efforts and medication.
A recent medical examination revealed the need for further surgery, and his life expectancy did not seem to be great.
Mr MacEntee said Redmond appealed for as much leniency as the court could offer.
He felt he owed a debt to society and was more than willing to undergo community service of even the most strenuous nature to repay that debt.