Men using name of singer clocked up bill at Cork hotel, court hears

Two men and a woman who stayed at Hayfield Manor falsely using the name of the Cayman Islands singer Benjamin Carter clocking up a bill for a large amount of food and drink at their room had their card declined the next morning – and now the two men have been remanded in custody for deception.

Garda Cathal McCarthy and Garda Diarmuid Murphy gave evidence against the two men at Cork District Court and said the food and drink bill was €457 and the bank card was declined. 

A pre-payment had been made for the room.

They contacted another man over the phone that morning – September 11 - who offered details on three other cards to make the payment for the food and drink and all cards failed, with some returning a message to Hayfield Manor, “Declined – suspected fraud.” 

Gardaí were called to the scene and were satisfied that the woman had no role in the matter. However, they found the men to be evasive and they were arrested for questioning.

They found that their car parked outside was a rental vehicle which should have been returned the previous day and was reported as unlawfully taken.

Eddie Burke solicitor said both 33-year-old men – Mateus Claudio of Castlecurragh Park, Mulhuddart, Dublin, and Kevin Muanga of Rathmines Road Lower, Dublin - were applying for bail. The evidence was that both have been living in Ireland since they were children.

The two defendants are charged with theft by deception in respect of the Hayfield Manor bill, unauthorised taking of a car and failing to give correct name and address to gardaí.

Mr Burke said the total loss was less than €500, and that the car was recovered undamaged.

Sergeant John Kelleher said that Kevin Muanga had given the name Benjamin Carter who is a famous singer from the Cayman Islands.

“It was not just a deception of the hotel but a deception of the guards, not telling the guards who they are,” Judge Mary Dorgan said as she refused bail and remanded both men in custody until September 19.