Man paid €2,000 for vehicle he never received from Mayo dealer, court told

The buyer of a Geesala man’s van never received the vehicle after handing over €2,000, a court has heard.

Patrick Talbot, with addresses at 7 Cois Trá, Geesala and Dooyork, Geesala, pleaded guilty at Belmullet District Court to two charges under the Criminal Justice (Theft and Fraud Offences) Act of making gain by deception.

Garda Inspector Dermot Butler told the court that a man contacted the gardaí on February 17, 2024, regarding a van he had purchased from Talbot but had never received.

The victim said he had seen the van online and spoke to Talbot who had posted it for sale.

They chatted over Facebook and made an agreement for the sale of the van for €2,000.

Two payments, totalling €2,000, were made online via Revolut, but the van was never forthcoming. The victim has been since reimbursed.

Talbot has four previous convictions.

Solicitor Mr. Alan Gannon said his client had been living in England before his business ran into difficulty.

He returned home to Geesala and continued to face financial difficulties, as well as troubles with alcohol.

He then began selling vehicles and, in this case, had fixed up an old van with the intention of selling it. After agreeing to sell it to the victim, he then sold the van elsewhere and did not have the money to reimburse the complainant.

However, Talbot has since saved up and paid him back in June 2025. He is now gainfully employed with a distribution company.

Mr. Gannon submitted references from his employer and a counsellor into court. He said Talbot is apologetic and appreciates that this has been disruptive for the complainant.

Mr. Gannon added his client had been in a bad place in early 2024 but has now turned his life around.

Judge Sandra Murphy said this was a very serious matter and it was concerning that the complainant had been left without his money for a period of a year and a half.

The judge also noted that a previous conviction from 2017 was related to a forged Barclays Bank cheque lodged into a Bank of Ireland account.

This was, she said, of additional concern as it was an offence similar in nature to what was before the court.

She adjourned sentencing for probation and victim impact reports.

* Published under the Courts Reporting Scheme.