Ireland Crime

Named as

Victim

Offences

Fraud (romance fraud), Proceeds of crime

Where

Co. Cork

Reporting

4 reports, 17 Dec 2025 to 22 Jan 2026

Outlets

irishtimes.com, corkbeo.ie, irishmirror.ie

• High Court rules Cork property bought with romance fraud proceeds Fraud (romance fraud) · Co. Cork

  Patrick O'Brien, a man aged 44, allegedly defrauded Pauline Fitzpatrick of more than €260,000 between 2012 and 2015 in a romance fraud. Fitzpatrick later died from a heart attack. The Criminal Assets Bureau sought a declaration under section 3 of the Proceeds of Crime Act 1996 that Thomas Humphreys, a British man aged 37 and O'Brien's brother-in-law, used the proceeds to purchase a house on Strand Street, Youghal, Co Cork in July 2015. In January 2026, Mr Justice Liam Kennedy ruled in favour of the bureau, finding on the balance of probabilities that the property was purchased with the proceeds of the fraud.

  In court, 17 Dec 2025Victim · 4 reports

Each entry shows how that report described them.

1. 22 Jan2026
   In courtirishtimes.com, in High Court rules Cork property bought with romance fraud proceeds

   Cork property was bought using proceeds of ‘sinister’ romance fraud, court rules

   victim, Pauline Fitzpatrick, female, irish (judged from name)Pauline Fitzpatrick♀IE
2. 19 Dec2025
   In courtcorkbeo.ie, in High Court rules Cork property bought with romance fraud proceeds

   Romance frausters accused of taking funds from vulnerable woman to buy Cork home

   victim, Pauline Fitzpatrick, female, irish (judged from name)Pauline Fitzpatrick♀IE
3. 19 Dec2025
   In courtirishmirror.ie, in High Court rules Cork property bought with romance fraud proceeds

   Money from alleged 'sinister' romance fraud used to buy Cork property

   victim, Pauline Fitzpatrick, female, irish (judged from name)Pauline Fitzpatrick♀IE
4. 17 Dec2025
   In courtirishtimes.com, in High Court rules Cork property bought with romance fraud proceeds

   Proceeds of alleged romance fraud used to purchase Cork property, court hears

   victim, Pauline Fitzpatrick, female, irish (judged from name)Pauline Fitzpatrick♀IE

Matched on the name as printed, ignoring quoted nicknames, and split by the ages reported. Two people who share a name and age would appear together here.