clean record | 

Money launderer duped by man she believed to be her boyfriend is left without conviction

Winnie McDonald Agu (24) let the man use her bank account. When the money was taken out of the account, he blocked her number and she hasn’t heard from him since.

Today at 08:02

A young woman who was deceived into laundering over €4,500 in cash by a man she believed was her boyfriend has been left without a conviction after she made a donation to a suicide prevention charity.

Winnie McDonald Agu (24) let the man use her bank account. When the money was taken out of the account, he blocked her number and she hasn’t heard from him since.

Judge David McHugh heard that Agu had donated €500 to Pieta House. He struck out the charge, leaving the defendant with a clean record.

Judge McHugh had previously ordered Agu to complete the restorative justice services programme, which she did.

The defendant, with an address at 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 previously 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 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 male 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 the attention of gardaí since.

Defence solicitor Liam Cadogan said his client was only 18 at the time of this incident.

Mr Cadogan said that the defendant had been fooled by a man who she believed was her boyfriend.

He added that the defendant gave the man permission to use her bank account.

“As soon as he got what he wanted, he blocked her phone and she’s had no contact with him since,” said Mr Cadogan.

Agu felt betrayed by this man, and was embarrassed by her own naivety, the solicitor added.