Fraudster posing as landlord steals 11 rent deposits

Fraudster posing as landlord steals 11 rent deposits

By Sarah-Jane Murphy

A FORMER property investor who was “robbing Peter to pay Paul” during a series of thefts and frauds which netted him almost €50,000 will be sentenced at the end of May.

Jonathan Chubb (38) of Keeper Road, Drimnagh, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to 34 counts of theft, two counts of providing a false reference, four counts of deception and six counts of possession of a forged driving licence and one count of money laundering on dates between March 2013 and July 2015.

Criminal Courts of Justice 2

Garda Nathan McKenna told Ger Small BL, prosecuting, that Chubb had stolen deposits from 11 people, who gave him cash believing he was the landlord of an apartment for rent at Oblate View, Tyrconnell Road, Dublin 8.

Gda McKenna told the court that some of the people Chubb stole from had young children and babies.

He said they were stressed, distraught and scared when they arrived to move into the property and found “maybe fifteen people who had turned up to do the same thing”.

Gda McKenna told Ms Small that one of the injured parties suspected something was wrong after handing over a €900 deposit to Chubb, and she called him and asked for her money back.

But after a phone conversation she then apologised for doubting him, gave him a deposit of €2000 and a box of chocolates by way of apology, the court heard.

Another of Chubb’s victims told gardai the defendant had handed him a key to the apartment and told him the property needed a few repairs and said he could move in the following week.

This man took a photo of Chubb, who was using the name Darren Hartigan, and later gave it to gardai.

Gda McKenna said one woman, with no family or support in Dublin, found herself and her eight-year-old daughter homeless as a consequence of Chubb’s fraud.

The court also heard that Chubb stole four iPhone 5s worth €2,316 from Three Ireland, after he ordered them in the name of a company and did not pay for them.

Michael Bowman SC, defending, said Chubb had been “robbing Peter to pay Paul”.

James P Dwyer BL, also defending, said that his client had brought €9,000 to court to be allocated to the injured parties, and would provide further compensation at his next court appearance.

Chubb has 27 previous convictions including 12 for theft and fraud offences and 16 for road traffic offences.

He has one conviction for a minor misuse of drugs offence.

Judge Karen O’Connor said Chubb’s crimes were very disturbing matters.

“He left people and their babies and young children without accommodation which is the most basic of human needs,” she said.

She adjourned sentencing until May 30, 2018.

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