The Daily Star Ireland
A 23-year-old man has been sentenced to prison after orchestrating a scheme to acquire high-end BMW vehicles from car dealerships in Cork and Wicklow, with the combined value of the targeted cars reaching approximately €164,000.
Callum Kearney, originally from Highfield, Ballincollig, Co Cork, pretended to be a genuine buyer interested in purchasing several BMWs. His method involved presenting fake proof of payment, using doctored images designed to look like authentic bank transfer confirmations. Kearney received a three-year prison sentence, with 21 months suspended.
During sentencing at Mullingar Circuit Criminal Court, Judge Keenan Johnson noted that Kearney had a clear preference for luxury cars and showed considerable creativity in carrying out the deception. The court also heard that Kearney, already serving a 27-month sentence for similar deception offences, was expected to complete that term by June. This latest sentence would run partly alongside his current imprisonment.
Detective Garda Mark O’Riordain, attached to the stolen vehicle investigation unit, outlined the series of incidents that led to Kearney’s conviction. On November 14, 2023, Kearney contacted Ashford Motors in Rathnew, Co Wicklow, expressing interest in purchasing two BMWs. The cars were priced at €89,950 and €54,950. Kearney provided his personal information to the dealership and followed up with screenshots that appeared to show payments made through online banking. However, the payments never arrived, and Kearney ultimately failed to complete either purchase.
Just six days after the unsuccessful Wicklow scam, Kearney visited CMC Car Sales in Mallow, Co Cork. He requested a test drive of a BMW valued at €28,950. Once again, he showed the dealer a fake screenshot of a pending payment. This time, he drove off with the vehicle and never returned it.
After fitting the car with false registration plates, Kearney moved the stolen vehicle to Mullingar, Co Westmeath. Acting on intelligence, Detective Garda O’Riordain located the car outside a residential property in Mullingar. Upon confronting Kearney, the accused initially provided a false name and claimed he had owned the vehicle for several years. However, under further questioning, he admitted the theft and revealed he already had a buyer lined up, willing to pay €15,000 for components from the car’s engine.
Kearney also confessed to the failed attempts to acquire the two BMWs in Wicklow. He disclosed that a buyer had offered €50,000 for one of those vehicles, showing that his scheme involved not just acquiring luxury cars but also quickly offloading them for profit.
The court heard that Kearney taught himself to use Photoshop software to fabricate fake bank transfer receipts. He went so far as to replicate the fonts, colours, and layout used by AIB to make the screenshots look convincing.
During the sentencing hearing, Kearney’s defence highlighted his deep interest in cars, describing it as a lifelong passion. The court was also told that Kearney, despite his 41 previous convictions, had no history of drug or alcohol addiction. The defence further explained that Kearney’s background included a diagnosis of ADHD and autism, and he grew up in a challenging home environment, where he was exposed to domestic violence from a young age.
Kearney’s legal team painted him as a fantasist with delusions of grandeur—comparing him to a Walter Mitty-type character—but stressed that he had taken steps to address his behavioural issues. While in custody, he attended forensic psychological counselling and expressed aspirations of training to become a paramedic in the future.
Kearney’s family indicated they were ready to welcome him back home upon his release, and the court heard that his mother was particularly supportive. Prison staff described Kearney as polite and well-behaved, and he had been placed on the enhanced regime while serving his sentence.
To encourage his rehabilitation, Judge Johnson suspended 21 months of the three-year sentence on condition that Kearney refrains from reoffending and continues attending psychotherapy as directed for five years after his release. The custodial portion of the sentence was backdated to November, when Kearney was first remanded into custody on these charges.
