Ireland Psychic medium Debbie Paget jailed for conning man out of €10,000
Debbie Paget, 55, a psychic medium from Ballymun, Dublin, told James Byrne in Cabra, Dublin, that his deceased father had told her to give her €10,000 and that if he did not, it would be a sin and the devil would get him. Byrne withdrew the money from his bank account and gave it to Paget in a cash envelope. A jury at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court convicted her by majority in May 2023 of dishonestly inducing by deception, while acquitting her on a second count relating to €200 from Byrne's sister Maria Byrne. In July 2023, Judge Pauline Codd sentenced Paget to 18 months in prison, suspending the final six months on strict conditions.
- Reportednot reported
- Arrestednot reported
- Chargednot reported
- In courtnot reported
- Verdictnot reported
- Sentenced10 Jul
2 reports
Key facts
consolidated from all reports- What happened
- Paget told James Byrne during a reading that his deceased father had told her to give her €10,000 and that if he did not, it would be a sin and the devil would get him.
- James Byrne withdrew €10,000 from his bank account and gave it to Paget in a cash envelope.
- Where
- James Byrne, his sister Maria Byrne, and their mother lived together in Cabra, Dublin, and Paget was from Knowth Court, Ballymun, Dublin.
- When
- The jury convicted Paget in May 2023 and she was sentenced in July 2023.
- Charges
- Paget was charged with dishonestly inducing by deception James Byrne to give her €10,000 and with dishonestly inducing by deception Maria Byrne to give her €200.
- In court
- A jury at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court convicted Paget by majority after deliberating for a little over four hours and acquitted her on the second count relating to €200.
- Sentence
- Judge Pauline Codd sentenced Paget to 18 months in prison and suspended the final six months on strict conditions.
- Investigation
- Paget told gardaí she was publicly known as a psychic medium who could see beyond the veil and communicate with the dead, and that she had offered her service for 40 years and never charged anyone.
- Other details
- There was no evidence of where the €10,000 went and no expression of remorse or attempt to pay back the money.
- Paget's youngest daughter died at age eight having been born with cystic fibrosis, and Paget had written a book about the experience and became addicted to methadone.
15 statements extracted from the articles
- whatPaget was convicted of dishonestly inducing by deception James Byrne to give her €10,000 (offalyexpress.ie)
- whatPaget told James Byrne during a reading that his deceased father had told her to give her €10,000 (offalyexpress.ie)
- whatPaget told Byrne that if he did not give her the money it would be a sin and the devil would get him (offalyexpress.ie)
- whatJames Byrne gave Paget €10,000 cash in an envelope after withdrawing it from his bank account (offalyexpress.ie)
- whatPaget told gardaí she was publicly known as a psychic medium who could see beyond the veil and communicate with the dead (offalyexpress.ie)
- whatPaget said she had offered her psychic service for 40 years and had never charged anyone (offalyexpress.ie)
- whereJames Byrne, his sister Maria, and their mother lived together in Cabra, Dublin (offalyexpress.ie)
- courtThe jury convicted Paget by a majority after deliberating for a little over four hours (offalyexpress.ie)
- sentenceJudge Pauline Codd sentenced Paget to 18 months in prison and suspended the final six months on strict conditions (offalyexpress.ie)
- otherShe told a man his late father wanted him to give her €10,000. (extra.ie)
- otherThere was no evidence of where the €10,000 went (offalyexpress.ie)
- otherPaget's youngest daughter died at age eight having been born with cystic fibrosis (offalyexpress.ie)
- otherPaget had written a book about her experiences of the death of a child (offalyexpress.ie)
- otherPaget became addicted to methadone after her youngest daughter was born with the CF diagnosis (offalyexpress.ie)
- otherThere was no expression of remorse or attempt to pay back the money (offalyexpress.ie)
The reporting
newest first- 11 Jul2023'Psychic medium' jailed for conning man out of large sum of money
Sentencing report: Paget received 18 months with six months suspended on strict conditions. Judge Pauline Codd described her as 'an old-fashioned confidence trickster' and the offence as 'cunning and manipulative'. She was acquitted on a second count relating to €200 from James Byrne's sister Maria Byrne.
convicted, Debbie Paget, 55, female, named, irish (judged from name)Debbie Pagetvictim, James Byrne, male, irish (judged from name)James Byrnevictim, Maria Byrne, female, irish (judged from name)Maria Byrne - 10 Jul2023‘Psychic Medium’ Jailed After She Told Man His Late Father Wanted Him To Give Her €10,000
Article body is largely template code; only the headline provides substantive information about the case.
convicted, femalevictim, male