Charge against actor withdrawn

A charge against actor Bryan Murray of obtaining money for a business venture by deception has been withdrawn by the Director of Public Prosecutions, a court was told yesterday.

Mr Murray (58), Dodder Banks, Milltown, Dublin, had been charged with an offence relating to Poga's Wonderland, a failed theme park which closed after just three months in September 2004 with debts of €1.4 million.

The theme park, based on the character Poga the dragon, opened in the summer of 2004 at Goff's in Co Kildare, but closed after only 15,000 customers passed through its doors.

It had been alleged that Mr Murray and his fellow director, Kathleen Lambe, of Kilteel, Naas, Co Kildare, obtained by deception a grant of €24,065 for their company, Islandbridge Productions Ltd, from the Kildare Enterprise Board.

During a short hearing at Naas District Court yesterday, Judge Murrough Connellan was told that the DPP had dropped the deception charge against Mr Murray and his business partner.

The charge had stated that he and Ms Lambe did "dishonestly by deception induce Donal Dalton [then CEO of the enterprise board] to do an act to wit, issue your company Islandbridge Productions Ltd with a capital grant of €24,065 in the form of a cheque for the intention of making gain for yourself and others".

Mr Murray, who has acted in television series including Brookside, Fair City and The Irish RM, was in court for yesterday's hearing which lasted less than a minute.

Det Garda Paul O'Reilly of Naas Garda station told the court 11 new charges were being brought against Ms Lambe - one for theft and 10 for the possession of a false instrument, ie fraudulent invoices, under the terms of the Theft and Fraud Offences Act 2001.

Insp Patsy Glennon told the court that the DPP had said there was an allegation of a "serious matter of fraud" which should be heard in the Circuit Criminal Court and not the District Court.

Ms Lambe was remanded on continuing bail until January 14th when the book of evidence will be served at the Circuit Criminal Court. The case is expected to be heard in February.