Let-off | 

Student duped into laundering €4,500 by man she believed was her boyfriend escapes conviction

Judge Jones accepted Agu had been used, but he said she nevertheless committed a crime. The judge ordered Agu to donate €500 to Pieta House and left her without a conviction.

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A student was duped into laundering more than €4,500 by a man she believed was her boyfriend, a court heard.

Winnie McDonald Agu (24) let the man use her bank account, and when the money was taken out he blocked her number and she has not heard from him since.

The case came before Judge Gerard Jones for finalisation after Judge David McHugh had ordered Agu to complete the restorative justice services programme.

Defence solicitor Liam Cadogan said Agu had successfully completed the programme and he asked the judge to be lenient.

Judge Jones accepted Agu had been used, but he said she nevertheless committed a crime. The judge ordered Agu to donate €500 to Pieta House and left her without a conviction.

The defendant, of Avondale Park in Mulhuddart, previously admitted possession of €4,822, which was the proceeds of crime, at AIB, Westend Retail Park in Blanchardstown, between June 14 and June 19, 2018.

Sergeant Maria Callaghan outlined the allegation for Judge Jones.

She told Blanchardstown District Court that gardaí were contacted by AIB’s fraud unit who said money from an invoice had been redirected from a company in Germany. The bank had tried to reclaim the money but it had been taken out of the account.

Sgt Callaghan said Agu was interviewed by gardaí, and she told them a friend had asked her if he could use her account.

Agu told gardaí she was unaware of the fraud, and she did not gain anything from it.

Sgt Callaghan said the company had not been reimbursed the money.

The court heard Agu had no previous convictions and had not come to trouble since.

Mr Cadogan said his client was completing a masters degree in forensic psychology.

Mr Cadogan said Agu was only 18 at the time of this incident. She had been fooled by a man, who she believed was her boyfriend. She gave him permission to use her bank account and “as soon as he got what he wanted he blocked her phone and she’s had no contact with him since”.

Agu felt betrayed by this man, and was embarrassed at her own naivete, he added.