A convicted killer who has never had a job has been jailed after he spent €100,000 in crime cash carrying out “grandiose” renovations on his family home.
At the Special Criminal Court on Monday, Ms Justice Karen O’Connor said offending of this nature allowed criminality to function.
She jailed Richard Treacy (37) of Downey Street, Garryowen, Limerick, for two years and eight months. She ordered that money seized by gardaí from his house be forfeited to the State.
Treacy pleaded guilty to an offence under money-laundering legislation, that he, between January 1st, 2014, and January 12th, 2021, knowing or being reckless as to whether renovation work carried out at his home address was the proceeds of criminal conduct, did disguise the true source of the property.
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Ms Justice O’Connor said an aggravating factor was the significant amount of funds seized and the fact that the offending occurred over seven years.
She said that mitigating factors included Treacy’s plea of guilty, which saved court time and resources, and the fact that he gave some co-operation during the investigation.
Treacy had 10 previous convictions, including one for manslaughter and another for violent disorder, the court heard. He also has a conviction for dangerous driving causing serious harm.
Ms Justice O’Connor said the property was a modest one and €100,000 represented a significant amount of money.
She said that an offence such as this helped further criminality to take place, and it also affected citizens of society.
The judge noted Treacy was not of previous good character, with convictions for violent disorder and dangerous driving having occurred during the period of the offending before the court.
Setting a headline sentence of four years, Ms Justice O’Connor said the court would reduce this by a third, leaving a sentence of two years and eight months.
Fiona Murphy SC, for the State, asked the money seized by gardaí be forfeited. She said the forensic accountant in the case could not account for this additional money.
Ms Justice O’Connor said £3,900 sterling and €4,000 were significant amounts of cash recovered by gardaí, and as the defendant had no history of employment and was in receipt of social welfare she made an order for the forfeiture of this money.
Regarding separate amounts of cash found, €600 and €515, Ms Justice O’Connor said an explanation was given that this money was social welfare payments and money the defendant had saved, so the court was not making an order for the forfeiture of those sums.
Treacy told gardaí in a voluntary memorandum that another person was the registered owner of the house and that renovation works were carried out on the property.
He said a family member gave him the €4,000 for an extension on the house. No explanation was given for the sterling. Treacy said the two quantities amounting to more than €1,000 found in the kitchen were from savings and his dole money.
