Farmer allegedly pressured to write cheques

Three financial institutions have been ordered by a judge to give a Co Tipperary farmer details about persons who allegedly threatened and intimidated him into handing over €83,000 to them over the last number of years.

Some of the 17 individuals allegedly involved in intimidating James Richard Hodgins have “repented” and either paid back or promised to repay money, the High Court heard.

AIB, Bank of Ireland and Bunclody Credit Union, part of New Ross Credit Union in Co Wexford, were all directed by Ms Justice Miriam O’Regan to provide information, including bank accounts and addresses of individuals accused of intimidating money out of Mr Hodgins, whose farm is near Roscrea.

Mr Hodgins has lived alone since his father died some years ago and the court previously heard he was approached in 2013 by the defendants, who all know each other, offering to do work on the farm. Mr Hodgins believed they knew he was alone and said, while he did not want to give them work, found it hard to refuse them.

The work was often either not done at all or was substandard, but he felt intimidated into paying them, he said. The offers of work later stopped and the defendants began demanding handouts and loans, the court was told.

No opposition

None of the institutions opposed the application for the orders, which were sought in an effort to identify the individuals allegedly involved in the intimidation, Desmond Murphy SC, for Mr Hodgins, told Ms Justice O’Regan.

The judge made the orders and continued injunctions restraining 14 individuals from coming near Mr Hodgins or his farm.

There had been difficulties in serving the proceedings on most of the defendants, believed to be living in the southeast, who remained “coy” and “out of sight” but were “not unaware of what is going on”, he said. To rectify this, information about the accounts into which cheques signed by Mr Hodgins were lodged was being sought.

After bank officials became suspicious of one €17,000 transaction, Mr Hodgins explained what was happening and that cheque was cancelled.

When granting the injunctions last February, Mr Justice Paul Gilligan said the allegations were so serious Roscrea Garda station should be put on notice of the case.