Man (21) faces jail for bogus charity collection

Noel Baker

A man is facing prison after he pleaded guilty to carrying out a “bogus” charity collection in which he pretended to be a university student gathering donations for Trócaire.

John Burke, of 72 Rathoonane, Monavalley, Tralee, Co Kerry, already had one previous conviction for holding a collection without a proper permit when he went door-to door in the Mills estate in Skibbereen in Co Cork on July 4th last year. He had a fake ID badge stating he was a John Lee from University College Cork.

At Skibbereen District Court, Judge James McNulty heard that a resident had contacted gardaí claiming there was a suspicious male calling to houses in the area.

Sgt Tom Mulcahy told the court that when encountered Mr Burke had collected €85 in cash and that a donations card showed pledges of €154.

The court heard Mr Burke (21) voluntarily admitted to collecting without a permit. The money and materials were seized.

However, subsequently on the same day he was stopped while driving at the Mills. In court Mr Burke pleaded guilty to the charity collection charge but also to driving without insurance and other road traffic offences, including not having road tax and not having produced his driving licence at a Garda station.

Judge McNulty heard that Mr Burke had seven previous convictions, including for having previously held a collection without a permit. It also transpired that at the time last July Mr Burke was found to be driving without insurance, he had been detected for a similar offence just 10 days earlier in Cork City, for which he was later convicted.

Mr Burke’s solicitor, Colette McCarthy, said her client was married and had some limitations. She said Mr Burke and his wife had been homeless for a time but had now been taken in by his mother.

Judge McNulty said he sympathised but remarked that “going door-to-door with a bogus box and a fake ID – it doesn’t sound good”. He said any difficulties did not entitle Mr Burke to drive uninsured or to carry out a “bogus” collection with people believing they were giving money to Trócaire, “when in fact he was a fraud”.

Ms McCarthy said her client had mental health difficulties and had been the victim of a serious assault in which part of his ear was bitten off.

She asked that a custodial sentence not be applied, but Judge McNulty said: “It’s the bogus house collection and misleading citizens that is the most serious, particularly when he has done it before. I think John needs to go away and think about things.”

The judge remanded Mr Burke in custody to appear before Bantry District Court this Thursday for sentencing on the various charges, adding: “The only issue is how long and if some part of the sentence will be suspended”.