Courts

Man avoids jail for role in defrauding Trinity College hardship fund

More than €460,000 defrauded from fund in ‘sophisticated scheme’ involving over 200 transactions, court hears

Jonathan McMahon (27) of Greenwood Walk, Blunden Drive, Dublin 13: given a suspended sentence. Photograph: Collins Court

Eimear Dodd
Thu May 9 2024 - 17:21

More than €460,000 was defrauded from the Trinity College hardship fund in a “sophisticated scheme” which involved more than 200 separate transactions, a court has heard.

Dublin Circuit Criminal Court was told on Thursday that a Garda investigation is continuing into the scheme, which resulted in about €461,275 being defrauded from the fund.

Some €7,100 of this was transferred in four separate transactions between October 2020 and February 2021 into Jonathan McMahon’s AIB and Revolut accounts. He entered a guilty plea to possession of the proceeds of crime.

An investigating garda told the court there is no suggestion that McMahon personally applied to the hardship fund and that he has no connection to the college.

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McMahon (27) of Greenwood Walk, Blunden Drive, Dublin 13, was arrested by appointment. When interviewed, he accepted that they were his accounts. He agreed that the money was not his, but he said that he had spent it.

The court heard gardaí did not believe his explanation.

The investigating garda said the money transferred to McMahon’s Revolut account was quickly moved to a third party’s account, while the money transferred to his AIB account was withdrawn, and gardaí believe it was handed over to others.

The investigating garda said it is unclear if McMahon acted as a money mule, adding there is no evidence that he was under duress.

The court heard McMahon, who has no previous convictions, is currently undertaking an apprenticeship and has brought €1,500 to court as compensation.

McMahon has a mild intellectual disability and is easily led by others, defence counsel said. She added that her client was drinking heavily at the time of the offence and was involved with a negative peer group.

Judge Codd imposed a one-year prison sentence, which she suspended in full on strict conditions. She said there was “significant mitigation” in this case, including McMahon’s guilty plea and expressions of remorse.

She directed him to hand over the sum of €1,500 and to pay an additional €2,000 as compensation to the hardship fund within the next 12 months.

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