Clare man jailed over concert ticket fraud in Waterford

A 37-year-old man from County Clare received a six-month prison term at Waterford District Court for deceiving a woman into paying for concert tickets he never delivered.

Clare man jailed over concert ticket fraud in Waterford

A 37-year-old County Clare resident has been handed a six-month custodial sentence for running a concert ticket scam that defrauded a woman in County Waterford.

Aaron Moran, whose address is listed as Apartment 7 on Parnell Street in Ennis, appeared before Waterford District Court last week. He faced a single charge of obtaining money through deception on 7 September 2023 at a Tramore address.

The court heard that a local woman had transferred €130 to Moran for a pair of concert passes. The tickets never arrived, and she never got her money back.

Gardaí took fifteen months to record a formal statement from the victim, partly because an officer involved had retired during that period. Judge Kevin Staunton acknowledged the lag was unsatisfactory but concluded it had not harmed the accused's defence.

Defence solicitor Ken Cunningham told the court his client had battled a gambling dependency in the past and had since overcome it. He also produced compensation for the injured party at the hearing.

The judge noted Moran's extensive criminal record, which includes forty-one prior convictions. He described the offence as a widespread and deeply unpleasant swindle that has become common in modern society.

"This is what he does — he's not a novice," Staunton remarked, pointing to a repeated pattern of dishonest conduct.

Moran was convicted and sentenced to immediate imprisonment. The court set recognisances at €500 should he choose to appeal.

Source: Irish Examiner

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