Man who conned rent from foreign students given suspended sentence
A gambling addict and former sports coach who conned rent from foreign students by pretending to let out his apartment has received a three-year suspended sentence at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Harry Henry (aged 46) of York House, Little Longford Street had a suspended sentence for cheque book theft when he pretended to be a landlord and defrauded a total of €5,750 from five different parties to cover a gambling debt.
He told gardaí he had sublet to two people while he slept rough before the offence, but gambled all the money he received.
The former sports teacher pleaded guilty to fraud on dates in early August, 2007 at his then Shelbourne Park home in Dublin 4.
Garda Damien Boland told prosecution counsel, Ms Caroline Cummings BL, that Henry had promised the two bedroom apartment to two pairs of friends and three individuals and took rent deposits from all seven people.
Gda Boland said Henry handed himself in to gardai on September 1, 2007, which was the day he told his "tenants" they could move in.
Gda Boland said the father-of-three described himself as "chronically addicted to gambling" and was in arrears for the rent at the Shelbourne Park apartment.
The garda said 23 of Henry’s 25 previous convictions related to stealing a relative’s cheque book and using the cheques. His 28-day sentence was suspended for two years, but he conned the students during this time.
Garda Boland agreed with defence counsel, Mr Ronan Kennedy BL, that his client contacted Dublin City Council to say he had breached his contract, that he had received treatment for his gambling problem and now attended Gamblers Anonymous.
Mr Kennedy told Judge Desmond Hogan that his client was now living a "meagre existence" in a hostel but had brought €500 to court to be given to the injured parties.
He submitted that Henry’s wife divorced him in 2006 due to his gambling and he was denied access to his children but that he had significant talents and currently worked as a volunteer.
Judge Hogan acknowledged that Henry had made "a cry for help" by giving the gardaí "chapter and verse" on offences they may never have found out about.
He accepted that Henry was "at rock bottom" around the time of the offence and ordered him to complete 240 hours of community service
