Former Kilkenny hurler DJ Carey has pleaded guilty to 10 charges related to defrauding people out of money while pretending to have cancer.

The 54-year-old, who previously resided at The Drive, Newtown, Maynooth, County Kildare, made the pleas during an appearance at Ireland’s Circuit Court where he was due to stand trial.

A five-time All-Ireland winner and multiple All-Star, Carey is one of the most decorated and acclaimed hurlers to ever play the sport.

Carey stood to enter guilty pleas on 10 counts of dishonestly inducing people to pay him money after he fraudulently claimed to have cancer and needed finances for treatment.he court heard that one deception charge was being struck out while the remainder of the indictment would be taken into consideration by the sentencing judge.

About 28 witnesses had been expected to give evidence for the prosecution at trial.

The 10 counts that Carey pleaded guilty to involved a total of 13 complainants, including Denis O’Brien, one of Ireland’s wealthiest entrepreneurs.

A defence lawyer told the court that while cancer was referred to in the charges, Carey “does have very genuine health conditions” and required surgery for a heart condition.

He was remanded on bail and is due to be sentenced on 29 October.

Scandal rocks Ireland after professional hurler admits to faking cancer to defraud people

The 54-year-old was one of Ireland’s most accomplished hurlers, winning the All-Ireland five times and All-Star multiple times. DJ Carey, a former professional hurler in Ireland, admitted to defrauding people out of money by falsely claiming to have cancer, international media reported last week. He is now awaiting sentencing for the 10 charges he pleaded guilty to.

The 54-year-old was one of Ireland’s most accomplished hurlers, winning the All-Ireland five times and All-Star multiple times, according to BBC News. 

DJ Carey’s alleged history of fraud and cancer claims

This is allegedly not the first time that Carey has defrauded people, according to his ex-partner Sarah Newman.

Newman told the Irish Independent that Ireland’s police, the Gardaí, failed to respond to her 2012 complaint that Carey had defrauded people with claims of an incurable brain cancer.

Carey had allegedly promised to buy a Range Rover from a wealthy businessman, but claimed that he had an incurable brain tumor and was in America for treatment when his cheques bounced.

After Newman and Carey split, she alleged she learned that Carey had been spreading rumors that he had to have his spleen removed.

“I am very relieved that the victims of DJ’s crimes will not have to be put through the trauma of giving evidence in what was expected to be a long and drawn-out trial,” Newman said following Carey’s guilty plea. However, she added,  “Carey could have saved an awful lot of taxpayers’ money by pleading guilty a long time ago.