Teen charged with duping One Directioners out of tickets

A teenager has denied duping four people using the DoneDeal website into lodging money into his bank account for One Direction tickets which they never received.

Dean McKeown (19), of 14 Fana Glas, Ballybane, pleaded not guilty at Galway District Court to eight charges under the Theft and Fraud Offences Act.

McKeown is charged with inducing a man to lodge €320 into his bank account at Bank of Ireland, Mervue Industrial Estate on December 12 last year for four One Direction tickets and with stealing the €320 from the man on the same date.

He is charged with inducing a woman to lodge €420 into his bank account for four One Direction tickets, which she never received, on December 16 last, and with handling the €320, knowing it was stolen from the woman on the same date.

McKeown is also charged with inducing another woman to lodge €325 into his Mervue bank account between December 14 and 16, for four One Direction tickets, which she never received.

He is charged with handling the €325, belonging to the woman, between those dates, knowing the money was stolen from her.

McKeown is further charged with inducing a third woman to lodge €480 into his bank account for six One Direction tickets on December 15 last, which she never received and with handling the money knowing it was stolen from the woman on the same date.

Inspector Mick Dwyer said the DPP had directed the charges could be dealt with at District Court level.

McKeown was remanded on continuing bail to appear before the court again in November when the facts will be heard in the case against him.