A man who received a tax bill of over £260,000 after failing to make returns for some years has been given a nine-month suspended sentence and a £6,000 fine by Judge Elizabeth Dunne.
Mark Doran (50), Enniskerry Road, Glasnevin, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to four counts of failing to make tax returns between April 1992 and April 1996. Three other counts were taken into consideration.
Det Sgt Denis O'Leary, from the Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB), told prosecuting counsel Mr Maurice Coffey that during this period Doran worked in various jobs. He said Doran worked for a Dublin legal agency, for the Football Association of Ireland as a steward, for Equity Ireland as a part-time actor and also dabbled in selling cars.
In April 2000, as a result of confidential information received, CAB called to his home in Glasnevin with a search warrant. It also called to rented accommodation on Ranelagh Road.
CAB calculated that during the period in question, Doran earned £343,345 and income tax on that amount was calculated at £154,317. There was also some £113,739 to be paid in interest. Det Sgt O'Leary said there was no suggestion that the source of Doran's income was through any illegal activity.
Defence counsel Mr Luan O Braonain said his client, who had one previous conviction for being the landlord of a brothel, for which he was fined in 1993, had since regularised his tax affairs.
He added that Doran didn't have any real assets but the investigation by CAB was solely into a large number of savings accounts he had. He now only had £70,000 in savings, "not a great amount to show for a lifetime of work".