A DRUG ADDICT carried out a “mean spirited and manipulative” romance fraud on a woman he met online, a court has heard.

James O’Connor, 42, met the victim, who was living in Ontario, Canada, in early 2021 and soon they were in love and made plans to meet up, Detective Garda Laura Griskeviciute told Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.

In September 2021 O’Connor told the victim that his van had broken down and that he needed to pay €5,000 in child support to his ex-partner. The victim offered to lend him €2,000 on the strict conditions that it be repaid within three weeks.

The victim wired the money across. A few weeks later she asked O’Connor to pay it back as she had to move out of her rented home and was under financial stress herself, but O’Connor didn’t pay it back.

Judge Orla Crowe said that O’Connor spun the victim tales and excuses and sent her emotionally manipulative texts including threatening to take his own life. When the victim reported O’Connor to gardai, he told them that she was harassing him and he didn’t know why.

Last November O’Connor of Hazelbury Green, Clonee, Dublin 15 pleaded guilty to making a gain or causing a loss by deception between September 2021 and October 2021.

Judge Crowe said that this was a very mean spirited and manipulative romance fraud. She said O’Connor had taken away the woman’s financial safety net which was “a terrible thing to do to anybody”.

Keith Spencer BL, defending, told the court that his client was a drug addict at the time. He said he is doing better now and is actively involved in local football clubs.

He told the court that O’Connor feels remorseful for preying on a vulnerable person like he did and has written a letter of apology. He said that O’Connor had put together €3,300 to pay back the victim which, the court heard, the victim is willing to accept.

The victim attended the sentence hearing from Canada via video-link. Reading her victim impact statement, she told the court how she believed she was in a relationship with O’Connor and that she never imagined he would take advantage of her.

She said she begged him to pay her back. She said her relationship with her family broke down because they were angry at her for lending him the money.

O’Connor’s 24 previous convictions include four theft type offences, and convictions for burglary, dangerous driving and endangerment.

Judge Crowe sentenced O’Connor to a prison term of 18 months which she suspended for four years. She ordered that he be under the supervision of the Probation Service for 18 months and engage with offence and victim focused work during that time.