Man who sold stolen car on Done Deal ordered to pay compensation

Man who sold stolen car on Done Deal ordered to pay compensation

By Brendan Grehan

A MAN who sold a stolen car for €2,400 after placing it on Done Deal and was then caught attempting to sell another stolen car also on Done Deal has been ordered to pay compensation by Blanchardstown Court.

In the second incident, the owner of the car saw it for sale on Done Deal and arranged to meet Keith Mooney in Liffey Valley.

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Keith  Mooney, aged 32, with an address at  Barnaville Park, Ballyfermot, pleaded guilty to making gain or causing loss by deception by inducing another into buying a stolen Opel Astra for €2,400 at the car park of  Morans Red Cow Hotel, Naas Road, on June 3, 2015.

He also pleaded guilty to handling stolen property, the Opel Astra car at the car park of  Morans  Red Cow Hotel on the above date and to possession of a false vehicle licensing certificate with intent to cause deception at Liffey Valley Retail Park, Clondalkin,on July 18, 2015.

 Garda Seamus Wallace from the Garda Stolen Car Unit in Harcourt Street told the court that on June 3, 2015, Florin Vasile responded to an ad for a 2007 Opel Astra which was on Done Deal for sale for €2,750.

He said that Vasile arranged to meet Mooney in the car park of the Red Cow and they agreed a price of €2,400.

Garda Wallace said Vasile  paid cash for the car. 

The vehicle licensing certificate which came with the car was sent to Shannon and it turned out to be a forgery and the gardai were notified.

The car was actually a 2005 Astra, Garda Wallace said.

Sergeant Maria Callaghan said that on July 15, 2015, a car was stolen from a driveway in Lucan as the keys had been left in the ignition.

She said the owner later saw the car for sale on Done Deal and contacted Mooney who posted the ad.

He arranged to meet Mooney in Liffey Valley Retail Park where Mooney was caught in a garda operation.

She said Mooney had 17 previous convictions.

Judge McHugh asked who was at loss in the case.

Garda Wallace said Mr Vasile had lost his €2,400.

Mooney’s solicitor, Anna Bridgeman said her client was sorry.

Judge McHugh said: “Is he sorry because he is sorry or is he sorry because he was caught. The premeditation in these matters is considerable.

I will put the matter back to December and I want the injured party reimbursed”.

Ms Bridgeman said  Mooney would not have the money by December as it would be in the run up to Christmas.

She said Mooney earns €50 a day and money would be hard to come by.

 Judge McHugh remanded Mooney on bail to a date in March 2018 for payment of the €2,400 and for sentencing.

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