Convicted fraudster has sentencing pushed back
Catherine O’Brien at Waterford Circuit Court. Photo: Dan Linehan
Convicted con artist Catherine O'Brien has had her sentencing pushed back - only days after appealing for a Waterford court to bring forward the date.
The 48-year-old was due to be produced from Limerick Prison to Waterford Circuit Court on Wednesday, December 10, before Judge Eugene O'Kelly.
O'Brien, of An Grianan, Ballinroad, Dungarvan, Co Waterford, was found guilty of deception after a three-week trial in July 2025. She was charged with dishonestly by deception inducing a man to give her €20,000 to purchase a horse, €1,100 for insurance and €984 to transport the horse from France to Ireland.
The jury heard that the victim had been diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer and suffered a stroke.
O'Brien was deemed medically unfit to attend her previously scheduled hearing in November. Judge O'Kelly pushed the matter back to January.
Last week, O'Brien's legal team requested that her sentence date be brought forward, alleging that the Prison Services couldn't properly facilitate her sentence via video link.
On Wednesday, December 10, Waterford Circuit Court received a letter claiming that the defendant was in hospital. Defence counsel Ronan O'Carroll BL said that the letter had been written by a doctor who was not O'Brien's "treating doctor" and she was no longer in need of medical attention.
Judge O'Kelly said: "I am satisfied that the doctor says whatever ailment she had no longer seems to be an issue. Presumably she's being brought back to Limerick Prison.
"I am in the middle of two trials, I have afforded her many opportunities to be sentenced but unfortunately due to her medical conditions it hasn't happened. Are you saying I drop everything to sentence her?"
Mr O'Carroll denied the assertion and said that there was a concern about the "lawfulness" of O'Brien's detention because Limerick Prison "couldn't facilitate" a video-link hearing while she was at hospital.
Judge O'Kelly commented: "Your client has had many bench warrants and she has absented herself numerous times."
The matter has gone back to its original date of January 14, 2026.
