This article is from page 12 of the 2008-02-12 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 12 JPG
A MAN who conned people into donating money for cancer research, under the pretence that he had suf- fered from cancer, has been jailed for eae lane leyeleelse
Arthur Boland (29), of 1A, No 46 Whitestrand Park, Galway, faced 30 charges relating to incidents in 11 different premises in Ennis and Ssixmilebridge between December |, 2007 and January 21, 2008.
The premises named on the charge Sheets included five bars, a hotel, an auctioneers, an insurance firm,
florists, a convenience store and a newsagents.
He admitted all 30 offences, but 11 of those were later struck out, after the judge noted that the euro symbol was absent from the charge sheets.
Boland admitted 18 charges of dishonestly, by deception, inducing people to contribute money with the intention of making gain for himself. The sums of money donated ranged between €2 and €20.
He also pleaded guilty to 12 charg- es of using a false instrument with the intention of inducing a person to accept it as genuine.
Garda Christopher Whyte told Ennis District Court on Friday that €945 was collected on the sponsor- ship cards, in the Ennis area. €81 of this could be traced back to those who donated.
Boland, he said, entered several premises in Ennis, where he pro- duced a letter stating that he was col- lecting money for cancer.
He stated that he had permission to collect the money and presented sponsorship cards for people to fill out. However the charity mentioned by Boland did not exist, said Gda Whyte.
‘There is a charitable organisation in Limerick, but it is not affiliated with any kind of cards, as it deals with corporate sponsorship,’ said the garda.
Garda Tracey Stanley, of Sixmileb- ridge, told the court that Boland told those who he sought money from in Sixmilebridge that he was a cancer sufferer himself.
Inspector Tom Kennedy told the court that Boland had 37 previous convictions. These include deception offences in Mayo and Tipperary and theft in Sligo and Harristown.
Boland’s solicitor Tara Godfrey
said he was pleading guilty to all stb e ene
“His life is somewhat barren. His relationship with his partner is Strained because of this,” she said.
‘He is willing to look into what is motivating him in this,” she said.
Boland accepted that a prison term was “almost inevitable,’ she said.
She pointed out that the sums of money included on the charge sheets were relatively small – €81 in Ennis and €85 in Sixmilebridge.
Judge Joseph Mangan jailed him for eight months and fixed a bond in the event of an appeal.