A Co Offaly man has been given a three-year suspended sentence for his role in a major insurance fraud conspiracy at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Jeremiah O'Donovan (44), Fairview, Birr, had no previous convictions and has paid €9,000 in part compensation for £18,125 paid out by the Guardian/PMPA in 1996.
He pleaded guilty last November to intention to defraud £18,125 by falsely pretending that a road traffic accident had occurred at Annaduff, Carrick-on-Shannon, Co Leitrim, on January 28th, 1996, involving a car driven by him, and another vehicle.
Judge Joseph Matthews said at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court that O'Donovan had "come clean" at the earliest opportunity, had no previous convictions and the court had received very substantial testimonials as to general character.
The operation was organised by a Longford garage-owner, Michael Byrne, who is serving five years for this and other related insurance frauds, and by Michael McDonald, Rathcor, Riverstown, Dundalk, who was jailed for 30 years in May 2002 in England for activity relating to the "Real IRA".
The court heard another man involved in another aspect of the overall conspiracy, Michael Daly (33), Longridge, Carbury, Co Kildare, was jailed for 12 months with six months suspended following his conviction in October 2002. One of his co-accused, Joseph Murphy (44), a lorry driver, of Main Street, Castlebellingham, Co Louth, was jailed for three years on February 2nd.