GAA manager sentenced to 16 months for tax fraud

A leading Co Fermanagh GAA coach who claims he was under pressure from loyalist paramilataries to commit VAT fraud of over £750,000 (€940,000) was today jailed for a total 16 months.

Dungannon Crown Court Judge Gemma Loughran told father of six Gerald Moane, 47, that she could not accept or act on his allegations as they had never formed any part of his defence case.

The Brookeborough manager from from Teigeshill Road, Fivemiletown, admitted 21 counts of making the false returns in a six-year period for Moane Contracts Limited, and one charge of acquiring criminal property.

Judge Loughran said that despite the many glowing references she would be failing in her duty to allow that to influence her unduly in sentencing him for what was clearly a fraud that showed a degree of professionalism, was a well planned operation and fraudlent from the outset.

Moane’s crimes spanned a six-year period from February 2006 to July 2012, involving him making false VAT returns with a total loss to the revenue of £766,000.

Judge Loughran said while confiscastion proceedings have already begun in the case there was little likelyhood of Moane being in a position to pay back any of the money.

Moane had been in the running for the Fermanagh manager’s job when Peter Canavan was appointed in 2012, and is also a former manager of Tyrone Ladies GAA team.