Gambling addict paying back €170,000 to conned couples

A county Galway electrician with a gambling addiction, who conned two couples out of almost €170,000, has to date repaid €31,400 and has been given more time by a judge to repay the balance.

James Murphy (44), from Curraghduff, Newbridge, pleaded guilty before Galway Circuit Criminal Court last July to stealing €60,000 from an Oranmore couple who work in Dubai, on December 21, 2011, and to stealing a further €59,642 from the same couple on January 31, 2012.

He further pleaded guilty to stealing a €50,000 inheritance from another couple at Corrib Park, Newcastle, Galway, on June 12, 2013.

Murphy brought €20,000 compensation to court in December, which was divided equally between the two injured parties and the matter was adjourned to last January when he brought sums totalling €6,400 to court on two different dates.

Garda John Leahy told the initial sentence hearing in December that the accused had fabricated stories claiming he could secure a site owned by NAMA for the Dubai couple, who were hoping to come home one day and build their dream home.

Murphy approached the couple and told them he could purchase a site for €120,000 for them from NAMA.

They made two separate payments of €60,000 and €59,640 to Murphy’s bank account in November, 2011 and again in January 2012.

Garda Leahy confirmed that by the end of March, 2013, Murphy finally admitted to the couple he had gambled their money away.

Detective Garda Gerry Carroll said at the time that the accused told the other couple that if they gave him the man’s €50,000 inheritance, he would invest it for them and they would get 46.7% return after a three-month period.

The site was never purchased and the money was never invested.

It transpired Murphy was spending the money – sometimes placing bets as high as €8,000 – to feed his gambling addiction.

Murphy brought another €5,000 to court last week to be divided between the victims, bringing the total now repaid to €31,400.

Judge Rory McCabe adjourned the matter further to July, giving Murphy more time to bring money to court for the injured parties.

He indicated that the case would be adjourned again then and until such time as all of the money had been repaid.