Suspended sentence for Cork teenager involved in €800 jewellery scam

A 19-YEAR-OLD has been given a suspended sentence for his part in a shopping scam.

A credit card was used over the phone to pay for €800 worth of jewellery that was collected from the shop a short time later by Billy Maguire, from Mahon, a court has heard.

However, the payment was later rejected and the jeweller was left at a loss.

Maguire, with an address at 44 St Michael’s Lawn, Mahon, Cork, was given a suspended five-month sentence at Cork District Court.

Shane Collins-Daly, solicitor, said there was no evidence that the fraudulent transaction over the phone was carried out by Maguire.

The solicitor said the teenager was asked to call into Cherish jewellers on Princes St, Cork, on February 20, 2022, to collect two sets of jewellery, both valued at €400, and he did so.

“At the very least, he was reckless, if not intentional, about the risk that he would be handling stolen property,” said Mr Collins-Daly.

Sergeant Pat Lyons summarised the background to the offence, saying: “The jewellery had been ordered over the phone and paid for using a fraudulent credit card. A chargeback was made on Cherish jewellers, who are at a loss. The accused was identified from CCTV at the store, and certain admissions were made.”

Judge Mary Dorgan imposed a jail term of five months, suspended for two years.