A Co Louth man has been jailed for three years for his role in a £151,000 insurance fraud conspiracy arising out of what was described as "a dramatic accident that never happened" in 1996.
James Murphy (44), a lorry driver of Main Street, Castlebellingham was found guilty by a jury at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on December 19th last.
Judge Joseph Matthews said while Murphy might have been "the heart and soul" of the conspiracy he was not the brain of the operation which was masterminded by a Longford garage-owner, Michael Byrne, who is serving five years for this and other related crimes.
Murphy was convicted of conspiracy to defraud the Guardian/PMPA (now Axa) by falsely pretending a traffic accident occurred at Annaduff, Carrick-on-Shannon, Co Leitrim on January 28th, 1996, between a Scania tractor unit driven by him and towing a lowloader which allegedly carried another Scania unit and a 'Hyster' forklift and a Rover car driven by a Co Offaly taxi-man.
The jury heard that Murphy, and another man who was acquitted, conspired together and with others including Byrne of Sligo Road, Longford, owner of Michael Byrne Motors; Michael McDonald, Rathcor, Riverstown, Dundalk, a director of Portfleet Ltd, owners of the Scania transporter driven by Murphy; and Jeremiah O'Donovan, Fairview Terrace, Birr, who was the Rover driver.
Murphy, who is originally from Gaultimsland, Carlingford and has had addresses at Francis St, Dundalk and Strand Road, Annaggasan, and in Newry, Co Down, was jailed for six years in 1989 by the Special Criminal Court on explosives charges arising of having unlawful possession of nitro-benzine.