Court told money laundering “common enough” in Laois

A local Garda Sergeant said money laundering is a “common enough” offence in Laois. 

Sgt JJ Kirby was speaking at Portlaoise District Court where a woman admitted laundering €2,500 from a text scam.  

Natasha Callaghan (40) with an address at 15 Cruise Park Court, Tyrrelstown, Dublin 15 admitted money laundering the sum of €2,500 at Ulster Bank, O’Connell Street, Limerick on August 5, 2022. 

Sgt Kirby said the woman had withdrawn the money from her bank account on the date in question. He said the money had originated from a text scam and was lodged in her account. AIB refunded the customer, he explained. 

He said the defendant now lives in Rathdowney but had been living in Dublin at the time of the offence. He said she has 20 previous convictions but none for money laundering. 

Solicitor Philip Meagher said his client “had poor associations for a period of time with a particular group” and would have had certain habits. 

He explained that “an individual she used to hang around with had taken her car and crashed it” and there was €2,500 owed. 

“A number of weeks later this sum of money appeared in her account,” said Mr Meagher. 

“She did not make proper inquiries about the source of these funds,” he explained. 

Mr Meagher said his client had cooperated fully with the guards and had entered an early guilty plea. 

“She assures me she won’t trouble the court  again,” said Mr Meagher. 

Judge Susan Fay described it as a “relatively unusual offence” but Sgt Kirby said this wasn’t the case. 

“It is a common enough occurrence in  Laois unfortunately,” he said.

He said the woman was “effectively a money mule” but he believed she had since made efforts to turn her life around. 

Judge Fay ordered a probation report and adjourned the case back to Portlaoise District Court on March 25, 2025.