Man claimed he was forced to remove money from his account in money laundering case

A man who said he was ordered to take money from his account before being taken to a shop to buy phones which he then had to hand over to others, appeared at Tullamore District Court recently on money laundering charges.

In his evidence to the court, Garda Fanning said that the defendant Kyle Smith (23), a student from Lynn Heights, Mullingar, had stated to the gardai that he had received calls purporting to be from his bank telling him that his account was displaying fraudulent activity and asking for his card details. He had dismissed the calls as a scam and hung up.

He then received a call to tell him to come outside of his student accommodation in Sligo where a northern registered white Seat Ibiza was waiting. He was ordered to ''get the f... into the car'' and was told nothing would happen to him. He was asked for his bank account details and his phone.

He was taken to a printing shop and told to print out his bank statement. A previous court sitting heard that €5,100 had been transferred into his account from a Birr based account owned by the injured party in the case.

Mr Smith was told there would be money lodged into his account and he was to withdraw it. He was then brought to a post office to change the money into sterling. He had said he was very nervous in the post office. Following this he was driven to a CeX store and instructed to purchase a number of phones which he handed over. Afterwards he was driven back to his student complex where he was warned not to tell the gardai.

Garda Fanning said it was three months before Mr Smith had reported the matter to the Gardai. ''Why he didn't report it at the time I don't know,'' said Garda Fanning.

Kyle Smith (23), Lynn Heights, Mullingar pleaded guilty to transferring, possessing or using €5,100 at Bank of Ireland, Emmet Square, Birr on November 26, 2021.

Solicitor Patrick Martin said Mr Smith was a young man. He had attended the Garda station by appointment. This had been a very traumatic experience for him and he had come at the earliest opportunity with the full amount of €5,100 which was the sum involved, His parents had accompanied him to court.

Judge Cody directed that the money be returned to the Bank of Ireland.

He then remanded Mr Smith on continuing bail to April 10 2024 for preparation of a probation report and restorative justice report