Gambler Karl Jess jailed for conning vulnerable man out of €25,350 in Ballyfermot
Karl Jess, 45, of Ballyfermot, Dublin, was sentenced to two years and nine months' imprisonment at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court after pleading guilty to five charges of dishonestly by deception for inducing a vulnerable man to hand over €25,350 between August and November 2023 by promising him a romantic relationship.
- Reportednot reported
- Arrestednot reported
- Chargednot reported
- In courtnot reported
- Verdictnot reported
- Sentenced24 Feb
2 reports
Key facts
consolidated from all reports20 statements extracted from the articles
- whatThe pair had known each other since 2021 after working together previously. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatThere were 10 instalments totalling €25,350. (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe injured party was of lower than average cognitive ability and vulnerable. (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe man lived alone and was in employment at the time. (irishtimes.com)
- whatJess made the man believe they were in a romantic relationship. (irishtimes.com)
- whatThey had known each other for a couple of years. (irishtimes.com)
- whatJess had previous convictions for possession of drugs for sale or supply. (irishtimes.com)
- whatJess had a gambling addiction. (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe victim was no longer working and his access to finances had to be limited. (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe man had been told he would be reimbursed once Jess settled an insurance claim. (irishtimes.com)
- whereJess lives at Kylemore Drive, Ballyfermot, Dublin. (irishtimes.com)
- whenThe 10 payments were made between August and November 2023. (irishmirror.ie)
- whenThe offences occurred between August and November 2023. (irishtimes.com)
- investigationGardaí became aware of the case through Damien Kennedy, the victim's brother, who made a report to officers. (irishmirror.ie)
- investigationGardaí obtained an extensive list of WhatsApp messages showing repeated requests from Jess for cash. (irishmirror.ie)
- courtThe maximum penalty for each count is five years' imprisonment. (irishmirror.ie)
- sentenceJudge Nolan elevated the headline sentence to four years due to the victim's vulnerability and imposed 33 months' imprisonment. (irishmirror.ie)
- sentenceJudge Martin Nolan imposed a sentence of two years and nine months. (irishtimes.com)
- otherJess has five previous convictions including for sale or supply of drugs. (irishmirror.ie)
- otherThe defence stated Jess had been battling an addiction to cocaine and had a gambling debt. (irishmirror.ie)
The reporting
newest first- 24 Feb2025Gambler jailed for conning ‘vulnerable’ man out of life savings by promising romantic relationship
Reports the sentencing of Karl Jess, who exploited a vulnerable man's belief in a romantic relationship to extract €25,350 over 10 instalments. The judge noted the aggravating factor of taking advantage of a vulnerable person.
suspect, Karl Jess, 45, male, named, irish (judged from name)Karl Jessvictim, male - 24 Feb2025Cocaine addict who duped 'vulnerable' man for €25k in romance scam jailed
Provides the victim's name (Stephen Kennedy), details of the romance scam via WhatsApp, victim impact statement from brother Damien Kennedy, defence submissions about gambling and cocaine addiction, and Judge Nolan's sentencing remarks elevating the headline sentence to four years due to the victim's vulnerability.
victim, Stephen Kennedy, male, irish (judged from name)Stephen Kennedysuspect, Karl Jess, 35, male, named, irish (judged from name)Karl Jess