A Co Fermanagh man who admitted scamming pensioners out of hundreds of thousands of pounds for dodgy construction jobs in the US was previously involved in swindling more than £100,000 from an elderly farmer in his native county.
In December, Patrick McDonagh (35) from Irvinestown was convicted alongside his brother Matthew after running what US authorities referred to as a “travelling roadshow of fraud” in the country where pensioners paid out hundreds of thousands for unnecessary construction jobs.
The Irish News revealed last month that Matthew had previously been convicted of attempted fraud offences in 2019.
Now it has emerged his older brother Patrick was one of four men convicted of fraud charges relating to an elaborate horse racing tip scam which led to a Co Fermanagh farmer suffering a loss of £107,000.
McDonagh and three others each received suspended sentences for their roles in the scam and were ordered to pay the victim £6,500 in compensation.
Farmer Gerard McDonald suffered the six figure loss over a six month period between December 2010 and June 2011 after he had initially been encouraged to place a £500 bet on a horse race.
In a statement of facts, agreed by all the accused at the time, the court heard that the criminal activity began after Christmas 2010 when the victim went to a bar in Enniskillen and was told to place £500 on a “sure thing” in a horse race.
According to the statement of facts, after informing two of the men that he did not have that sort of money, he was told the men would put the money on for him.
McDonagh left the bar before the race and returned saying he had put a £500 bet on for him.
McDonagh arrived at the farmer’s home the next day and took him out looking for cash machines. According to Mr McDonald, this was “all very intimidating”.
After a series of phone calls from a number of men asking for money in various guises, Mr McDonald had borrowed money to pay the men £107,000 in cash.
Mr McDonald was told on a number of occasions he had won money on horse races but needed to pay thousands to have his winnings released.
Speaking to the Impartial Reporter in 2015, the victim said he later had to sell part of his farm and that the ordeal had left him with depression.
“I had to sell an out-farm I was under that much pressure,” he told the paper.
“I was getting calls from them, day in, day out, and in the middle of the night.
“My family didn’t know about it for a good 12 months. I didn’t want to worry them about it all.
“I wasn’t sleeping at night. I was losing weight like snow off a ditch.
“I had depression over the head of it too.
“They are not good news. I know that now to my own cost. I was just vulnerable and they knew that.”
Mr McDonald said at the time he felt let down by the justice system after those convicted of the crimes, including McDonagh, received suspended sentences and paid £6,500 in compensation.
“The compensation is just an insult to injury to be honest -- it’s not worth them bothering.
“I know I’m not the only one to be caught out, which is a bit of a comfort, but I just don’t understand why the courts are so lenient towards them.”
Both brothers have been sentenced to 18 months in US prisons and are expected to be deported back to their home country once the sentences have been completed.
With both Patrick and Matthew McDonagh having fraud related convictions on their record, it is unclear how they managed to get entry to the US.
