Catherine O’Brien Convicted of Deception Charges

Fraudster Catherine O’Brien has been found guilty of deceiving a man she met on a dating site into investing in a horse. The jury at Waterford Circuit Court unanimously returned a guilty verdict on all three charges within 40 minutes.

It was alleged that Ms O’Brien induced John Blake to pay €20,000 for the horse, €1,100 for insurance, and €984 for transportation, which the State claimed did not happen. Ms O’Brien pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Following the verdict, Ms O’Brien was taken into custody and is set to appear for sentencing on July 22 via video link. The trial revealed that Ms O’Brien and Mr Blake met on a dating website, Plenty of Fish, where she claimed to be seeking a pen pal situation.

The court heard that Mr Blake, who has stage 4 cancer and suffered a stroke, signed a settlement document with Ms O’Brien and her business associate, John Walsh. The document clarified the horse's identity and a payment of €22,000 to Mr Blake.