Judge in warning on Done Deal website con

The Done Deal website has developed “negative connotations” in Galway due to the number of people using it to con others out of money and people should be very careful when using it, Judge Mary Fahy has warned.

The judge made the comment about the very popular buy and sell website while dealing with another con artist who used the site to lure a unsuspecting victim to lodge €600 into his bank account with the promise of supplying him with €900 worth of silage bales. Needless to say, the silage never existed.

Shane Nicholls (27), Abbey House, 113 Upper Newcastle, appeared in custody before Galway District Court last week where he pleaded guilty to the theft of €600 after he induced a man to lodge that amount into his bank account in January last year.

Inspector Brendan Carroll said the victim responded to an advert on Done Deal, rang the number given in the advert and bought what he thought was €900 worth of silage for €600.

He lodged the money into Nicholls’ bank account and it was quickly withdrawn.

The silage bales never existed and the money was never repaid.

Nicholls, Insp Carroll said, had eight previous convictions for thefts and fraud, assault and possession of articles to be used in a burglary.

The court heard he is currently serving a six-month sentence for theft and a consecutive nine-month sentence for assault and is not due for release until next May.

Defence solicitor, Ronan Murphy said Nicholls was a native of Kilrush who moved to Galway some years ago.  He developed a alcohol addiction while working as a barman and started to offend.

All of the offences, he pointed out, had been committed in the last 18 months.

“This is a particularly nasty and conniving way to get poor unfortunates to part with their money.  It was very well thought out and premeditated,” Judge Fahy said.

“Done Deal has always negative connotations in this court,” she added.

Mr Murphy said another party was involved and Nicholls’ bank account was used by that person.

Insp. Carroll said this had been a well-organised con and Nicholls was involved.

“The Done Deal website is used legitimately by a lot of people but in Galway, over the past number of years, is has negative connotations because people are gaining from it.

“The court should send out a message warning people to be very careful before getting involved with others on Done Deal in Galway.

“There is a huge racket going on and a number of people are involved in it.

“It’s being used to strip unfortunates of their money,” Judge Fahy warned.

She said the message had to go out also that the court would be treating such offences very seriously and in future the only way defendants would avoid a custodial sentence would be for them to repay the money to their victims.

Looking at Nicholls, the Judge said she knew he had no notion of repaying the money.

He smirked at her and nodded in agreement.

Judge Fahy then sentenced him to six months in prison for the theft and made it consecutive to the sentences he is currently serving.

She refused Mr Murphy’s application to make the sentence concurrent to the sentences Nicholls is already serving.

“No, not for this type of operation and even as I speak it is still happening,” she added.

Leave to appeal the sentence was granted.