Couple to vacate house deemed by court to be proceeds of crime

A couple has agreed to vacate a property in west Dublin which the Criminal Assets Bureau claims was acquired with the proceeds of crime.

Kenneth Carpenter and Elaine Byrne gave an undertaking before Ms Justice Carmel Stewart at the High Court to leave the property where they live at Rowlagh Park, Clondalkin, Dublin 22 by July.

CAB, which has various freezing orders against the couple, alleges Mr Carpenter is active in the sale and supply of drugs, has a number of previous convictions for drugs offences and associates with known criminals in south and west Dublin.

After the couple gave a sworn undertaking to vacate the property the judge made orders in respect of the house under Section 3 of the 1996 Proceedings of Crime Act.

CAB claims the couple have enjoyed an affluent lifestyle and spent lavishly despite the fact there is no credible explanation for the source of their funds. The sums of money spent by them do not correlate with their known income, it also claims.

The bureau had sought an order from the High Court under Section 3 of the 1996 Proceeds of Crime Act. deeming the house, which was purchased for €317,000 in 2007 as being acquired with the proceeds of crime.

Charity

CAB claims Mr Carpenter submitted false information to obtain a mortgage for the property. He described himself as being a salesman with a motor car company, earning some €75,000 per year.

The bureau said Mr Carpenter did not work for that firm.

It claims the house at Rowlagh Park is worth about €220,000 but that some €284,500 remains due and owing on it. It claims mortgage payments made on the property by Mr Carpenter came from the proceeds of his criminal conduct.

CAB officers claimed that extensive works have been done to the house, which has been finished to a high standard. The renovations include the installation of CCTV to the front and the back of the property.

Mr Carpenter had told gardaí he had worked various jobs, including truck driver, plumber and as a courier and more recently had sold items online.

The court heard CAB officers seized a number of items from the house following a search in May 2017. During the course of the search, gardaí discovered and seized about €20,000 in cash and a bulletproof vest.

When asked about where the cash came from, Mr Carpenter allegedly told gardaí it was his and he was saving it up for a holiday. He also said he was considering it giving some of it to charity.

Other items estimated to be worth more than €70,000 in total, including Rolex, Breitling and Hublot watches and a Chanel handbag, were also discovered and seized.

The court heard the couple had travelled extensively in recent years and had spent some €20,000 on flights alone since 2010 . They had been to the UK, several European destinations, Mexico and Dubai. They also travelled to the US, where they had gone on a cruise, CAB said.

It is claimed that in 2016 and 2017 Ms Byrne purchased thousands of euros worth of designer goods and had a platinum loyalty card in Brown Thomas, despite claiming that her only source of income was her lone parent's allowance.

Aside from the house, the court heard that the couple had consented to orders being made under Sections 3 and 4 of the 1996 Proceeds of Crime Act, in respect to others items seized from them which CAB say are the proceeds of crime, including a BMW and a Citroen which were purchased in 2016 .