BY OLIVIA KELLEHER

A 54-year-old  Kilbrittain man took advantage of a French company who were establishing themselves in Ireland in a bid to cover old debts he had with farmers, Cork Circuit Criminal Court has heard.

Seán O’Connor of Garrendurg, Kilbrittain  pleaded guilty to three counts of deception of Trioplast, now known as Trioworld, for sums of €129,000, €75,000 and €20,000. The offences occurred between May and August 2019.

Dt Garda Hugh Byrne told Judge Sinead Behan that the French company was keen to get a foothold in the Irish market. An arrangement was made that he would try to get orders from farmers. In return Mr O’Connor would receive a finder’s fee of one to three percent per order.

Judge Behan was told that the modus operandi in all three cases of deception was the same. Mr O’Connor had a pre-existing debt with each of the three farmers which was not in any way related to the transaction involving the French company.

Mr O’Connor told the farmers he would supply them with a certain amount of plastic silage bale wrapping instead of paying them back monies owed to them.

Trioplast later billed each of the Irish farmers only to be informed that they had effectively paid Mr O’Connor already. When the French company called Mr O’Connor he said that they should bill him instead.

He turned old debts owing to farmers in Offaly, Cavan and Mallow in Co Cork in to three news debts which he then owed to the French firm, the court heard.

Det Garda Byrne said Trioplast did not believe it could challenge the arrangements entered into by the Irish farmers amid concern it would cause them reputational damage.

Defence barrister, Ray Boland SC, said civil proceedings taken against Mr O’Connor had been compromised. The defendant has paid compensation to the company. His last payment to the company was for €109,000, which he raised through the re-mortgaging of his  home.

Mr Boland said that for Mr O’Connor it was very much a case of “’robbing Peter to pay Paul’. He added: ‘But he is guilty of robbing Peter.’

All of the money owed has been repaid, Mr Boland said, urging Judge Behan not to impose a prison sentence. He said that Mr O’Connor’s livelihood and that of the ten people he employed would be negatively impacted if he received a custodial sentence.

Judge Behan said that Mr O’Connor transferred his debt to Trioplast with the company finding itself in a “very invidious position in Ireland.”

‘Now the monies appear to have been repaid under threat of civil proceedings and criminal complaint.’

Judge Behan imposed a three year suspended sentence in the case.