Woman who claimed to be the victim of sextortion admitted possessing proceeds of crime

A 57-year-old woman who initially claimed she was the victim of a sextortion plot and that over €63,000 in cash found concealed in the boot of her car was to pay off her blackmailer, was given a suspended sentence at Dundalk Circuit Court last Tuesday.

Rose Joyce, who is originally from Finglas and was living in the Meath area at the time of the offence, was before the court for sentencing having previously admitted possessing the money, knowing or being reckless that it was the proceeds of criminal conduct.

Gardaí acting on a tip off had the defendant’s car, an Audi A4 under surveillance in the car park of the Carrickdale hotel on January 7th 2023, when a Citroen van parked beside it. A man got out and they both appeared to hug before he went to the boot of the car and returned to the van.

Gardai who moved in and arrested the pair as both vehicles went to leave the car park, found €63,350 in cash in an elaborate concealment, covered by carpet in the boot, which was accessed by a fob on her key ring.

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During her interview, Ms. Joyce denied the money was part of a criminal enterprise and claimed she had met a Moroccan man some weeks previously and had been dosed with a substance, and was later shown photos of her with intimate positions with three other men and €100,000 had been demanded off her and she had borrowed the cash seized from her brother to pay it over in response to the blackmail.

The Senior Defence counsel described that as a cock and bull story, but said his client’s caravan had been burnt out and her family had to get emergency accommodation.

Judge Dara Hayes said the role she had played was as a courier and noted Ms Joyce is a carer for her son and this was her first offence and there were extenuating circumstances and a custodial sentence would be undue hardship on her son, who has no role in the offending.

He imposed a two and a half year sentence which he suspended in full on her entering a good behaviour bond and placing herself under the supervision of the Probation Service for 12 months.