A man from Dundrum, Dublin, who ran up a bill of €1,426 in a Christmas credit card scam at the Four Seasons Hotel in Ballsbridge, but who was caught because he gave his real address, has been fined €500 and ordered to compensate the hotel.
David Downey (27), Wyckham Place, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to dishonestly obtaining services by inducing another to believe he was the authorised user of a credit card at the Four Seasons Hotel between December 23rd and December 27th, 2005.
Garda Angela Murray told the court that Downey approached the reception desk at the hotel at 9pm on Christmas Day 2005 and said a booking for a room had been made for him by another person on December 23rd.
Staff confirmed that a booking had been made and that there was a credit card number with the booking. Downey gave a false name, Patrick Downey, but wrote down his real address.
He was asked for the credit card but said he did not have it and appeared reluctant when asked for a cash deposit instead.
Downey told staff the credit card owner would fax them the next day with permission to debit the card and he was allowed to take the room. The hotel received a fax the next day purporting to be from the credit card owner with authorisation to debit the card for Downey's room but calls to the phone number provided on the fax were unanswered.
Garda Murray said Downey ran up a bill of €1,426, including bar bills and room service, and left the hotel two days later in his own car. His departure and various transactions earlier were captured on CCTV.
She said the owner of the credit card noticed the hotel payments on her statement in mid-January and reported them to her bank and gardaí.
Garda Murray said Downey was contacted and he agreed to come to the Garda station.
Michael Bowman, defending, said there had been "an element of stupidity" in Downey using his own vehicle and signing with his own address, but said his client "will have to bear the stigma of a conviction for dishonesty".