A MAN has been sentenced to three years for using claims of a camper van being stolen to defraud his insurance company of €34,000.
Edward Corcoran (30) was convicted by a jury after just over three hours of deliberation following a trial last month.
Corcoran, Oldcastle Park Lawns, Clondalkin, had pleaded not guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to deception and theft of €34,100 from Axa Insurance between October 2008 and January 2009. Judge Yvonne Murphy took into account his family circumstances and efforts to pay compensation, and suspended the final 15 months on strict conditions.
Garda Dave Moore told prosecuting counsel Fergal Foley he went to Mini Storage Ltd in Finglas after receiving a tip-off about a stolen vehicle in storage there. He found the camper van and arranged to have it removed.
Garda Moore said he received documents from the storage company that had been used to open an account to store the vehicle, including copies of Corcoran’s driver’s licence and a signed agreement with the storage company.
Corcoran was arrested and interviewed. He again told gardaí his van had been stolen, and said he had received an insurance payout from Axa following the theft. He denied dealing with the storage facility, saying it must have been the thieves who used his documents to open the account.
When Garda Moore put it to him that the account was opened six days before the reported theft, Mr Corcoran replied: “They must have miscalculated the dates.”
Defence counsel Garnett Orange said his client had €12,120 in compensation for the insurer. He also had €400 to donate to Crumlin children’s hospital.
Mr Orange called the offence “extreme stupidity” on his client’s part, but asked the judge to take into account his lack of serious previous convictions.