Updated 1.50pm
FORMER SOLICITOR THOMAS Byrne is to be sentenced this afternoon for 50 convictions including fraud, theft and deception.
The 47-year-old pleaded not guilty but was convicted by a jury in the country’s largest-ever fraud trial last month.
The evidence showed how Byrne fraudulently obtained properties from clients and associates and used them to secure loans totaling in excess of €50 million.
The 18 separate loan applications from various financial institutions ranged in value from €1 million to €9 million.
In falsely claiming ownership of the properties, Byrne falsified signatures in a number of cases, including those of at least two elderly women known to him.
The offences occurred between dates in September 2004 and 2007 when Byrne was solicitor based in Walkinstown.
Following the summation, Judge Patrick McCartan praised investigating gardaí for the way they presented the evidence in the six-week long trial.
“In particular the way you marshalled the evidence to be understood for everyone, including myself but especially the jury,” he told the court.
Sentencing will conclude this afternoon, with the charges of forgery carrying a maximum sentence of 10 years, fraud 10 years and theft five years.
Reporting by Rónán Duffy; first published 7.15am
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