Connacht Tribune
240 hours’ community service for man in ‘crash for cash’ scam
A 27-year-old man reared-ended a taxi on purpose so that passengers in the taxi could make a false insurance claim for personal injuries.
Barry Hynes, a father of two, from 40 Cullairbaun, Athenry, pleaded guilty before Galway Circuit Criminal Court in October to attempting to commit deception, involving a staged road traffic accident at Carnmore Cross, Galway, on October 16, 2014, by inducing FBD insurance to pay out on an insurance claim for the staged accident, with the intention of making a gain for himself or causing a loss to FBD, contrary to Section 6 of the Criminal Justice (Theft and Fraud Offences) Act 2001, and contrary to Common Law.
Sentence was adjourned to today for the preparation of a probation report on Hynes.
Detective Tom Doyle told the sentence hearing Hynes had been coerced and bullied by others into getting involved in the staged accident.
He said the main protagonist, who is the subject of an ongoing investigation and was not named in court, had bought the Passat car which Hynes was driving a few weeks before the accident was staged and had paid the deposit for an insurance policy which Hynes obtained from FBD for the 17-year-old car.
Det Doyle said from his investigations he found that four passengers, who were all related to the unnamed main protagonist or “accident arranger” got a taxi from a hotel in Oranmore to another hotel in Claregalway, six miles away.
Hynes rear-ended the taxi while it was stopped at traffic lights at Carnmore Cross, halfway between both hotels.
The taxi driver, who was unaware of the scam, told Gardai later that the impact was just a slight bump and no material damage was done to either car. The passengers said they were okay and both drivers exchanged insurance details at the scene, he said.
All four passengers in the taxi subsequently lodged claims against FBD insurance and the personal injuries board for personal injuries.
FBD launched an investigation and monitored social media contact which proved the parties involved were all related in some way.
Hynes was interviewed by FBD investigators and admitting knowing those involved. He said he was to be paid €600 and given a mobile phone for rear-ending the taxi.
FBD contacted Gardai and Det Doyle began his investigation.
He did a trawl of mobile phone activity between Hynes and the “arranger” before the accident occurred.
“FBD has not paid compensation to any of the parties involved in the accident,” Det Doyle added.
He agreed with defence counsel, James Charity, that Hynes had no previous convictions and was unlikely to reoffend.
He said Hynes had co-operated fully in the Garda investigation and was now living in fear of retaliation by the ‘arranger’.
“I believe he was bullied into doing this,” Det Doyle added.
He agreed with Mr Charity that it would have been very difficult to detect what had happened but for the full admissions made by Hynes to FBD investigators.
He said his client had got “cold feet” on the day and had not hit the taxi at the first opportunity. The “arranger” had been very angry with him and he did give the taxi “a slight bump” when the taxi approached the traffic lights on the return journey.
Afterwards, the passengers in the taxi were angry with him because he had not hit the taxi hard and had only nudged the car. He was given a broken mobile phone on the journey home.
Judge Rory MacCabe asked if other prosecutions had been taken or were they pending. Det Doyle confirmed Hynes had been fully co-operative, and while this was a stand-alone prosecution the investigation was ongoing.
Adopting the recommendations of a probation report which was handed into court, Judge MacCabe directed Hynes carry out 240 hours’ community service in lieu of a two-year prison sentence.
Afterwards the hearing, Jackie McMahon, Chief Claims Officer at FBD Insurance said: “We robustly defend suspect claims as otherwise our customers will pay for the fraud of others. This result sends a clear signal that the courts will not allow insurance fraudsters to cheat the majority of consumers. We hope this case will act as a severe deterrent to anyone considering insurance fraud.
“Insurance fraud ultimately costs everybody in the price they pay for their insurance. Suspected fraud will be vigorously contested, with the perpetrators brought to justice.”
Significant state investment is required to address ‘shocking’ inequalities that leave cancer patients in the West at greater risk of succumbing to the disease.
A meeting of Regional Health Forum West heard that survival rates for breast, lung and colorectal cancers than the national average, and with the most deprived quintile of the population, the West’s residents faced poorer outcomes from a cancer diagnosis.
For breast cancer patients, the five-year survival rate was 80% in the West versus 85% nationally; for lung cancer patients it was 16.7% in the west against a 19.5% national survival rate; and in the West’s colorectal cancer patients, there was a 62.6% survival rate where the national average was 63.1%.
These startling statistics were provided in answer to a question from Ballinasloe-based Cllr Evelyn Parsons (Ind) who said it was yet another reminder that cancer treatment infrastructure in the West was in dire need of improvement.
“The situation is pretty stark. In the Western Regional Health Forum area, we have the highest incidence of deprivation and the highest health inequalities because of that – we have the highest incidences of cancer nationally because of that,” said Cllr Parsons, who is also a general practitioner.
In details provided by CEO of Saolta Health Care Group, which operates Galway’s hospitals, it was stated that a number of factors were impacting on patient outcomes.
Get the full story in this week’s Connacht Tribune, on sale in shops now, or you can download the digital edition from www.connachttribune.ie. You can also download our Connacht Tribune App from Apple’s App Store or get the Android Version from Google Play.
Galway 3-18
Cork 1-10
NEW setting; new opposition; new challenge. It made no difference to the Galway minor hurlers as they chalked up a remarkable sixth consecutive double digits championship victory at Semple Stadium on Saturday.
The final scoreline in Thurles may have been a little harsh on Cork, but there was no doubting Galway’s overall superiority in setting up only a second-ever All-Ireland showdown against Clare at the same venue on Sunday week.
Having claimed an historic Leinster title the previous weekend, Galway took a while to get going against the Rebels and also endured their first period in a match in which they were heavily outscored, but still the boys in maroon roll on.
Beating a decent Cork outfit by 14 points sums up how formidable Galway are. No team has managed to lay a glove on them so far, and though Clare might ask them questions other challengers haven’t, they are going to have to find significant improvement on their semi-final win over 14-man Kilkenny to pull off a final upset.
Galway just aren’t winning their matches; they are overpowering the teams which have stood in their way. Their level of consistency is admirable for young players starting off on the inter-county journey, while the team’s temperament appears to be bombproof, no matter what is thrown at them.
Having romped through Leinster, Galway should have been a bit rattled by being only level (0-4 each) after 20 minutes and being a little fortunate not to have been behind; or when Cork stormed out of the blocks at the start of the second half by hitting 1-4 to just a solitary point in reply, but there was never any trace of panic in their ranks.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
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GARDAÍ and the IFA have issued a joint appeal to all road users to take extra care as the silage season gets under way across the country.
Silage harvesting started in many parts of Galway last week – and over the coming month, the sight of tractors and trailers on rural roads will be getting far more frequent.
Inspector Conor Madden, who is in charge of Galway Roads Policing, told the Farming Tribune that a bit of extra care and common-sense from all road users would go a long way towards preventing serious collisions on roads this summer.
“One thing I would ask farmers and contractors to consider is to try and get more experienced drivers working for them.
“Tractors have got faster and bigger – and they are also towing heavy loads of silage – so care and experience are a great help in terms of accident prevention,” Inspector Madden told the Farming Tribune.
He said that tractor drivers should always be aware of traffic building up behind them and to pull in and let these vehicles pass, where it was safe to do so.
“By the same token, other road users should always exercise extra care; drive that bit slower; and ‘pull in’ that bit more, when meeting tractors and heavy machinery.
“We all want to see everyone enjoying a safe summer on our roads – that extra bit of care, and consideration for other roads users can make a huge difference,” said Conor Madden.
He also advised motorists and tractor drivers to be acutely aware of pedestrians and cyclists on the roads during the summer season when more people would be out walking and cycling on the roads.
The IFA has also joined in on the road safety appeal with Galway IFA Farm Family and Social Affairs Chair Teresa Roche asking all road users to exercise that extra bit of care and caution.
“We are renewing our annual appeal for motorists to be on the look out for tractors, trailers and other agricultural machinery exiting from fields and farmyards,” she said.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App
Download the Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App to access to Galway’s best-selling newspaper.
Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.
Or purchase the Digital Edition for PC, Mac or Laptop from Pagesuite HERE.
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The Connacht Tribune Live app is the home of everything that is happening in Galway City and county. It’s completely FREE and features all the latest news, sport and information on what’s on in your area. Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.
Families queue up for school’s offer of free house
West has lower cancer survival rates than rest
Galway minors continue to lay waste to all opponents
Gardaí and IFA issue a joint appeal on summer road safety
Marathon Man plans to call a halt – but not before he hits 160 races
