Former Kilkenny hurler DJ Carey jailed for fraud

Former Kilkenny hurler DJ Carey has been sentenced to five and a half years in prison for defrauding multiple people. Starting from 2014, Carey falsely claimed he had cancer and needed money for treatment.

The 52-year-old was remanded in custody last week after Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that he had deceived 22 people out of nearly €400,000. Just over €44,000 of that amount has since been repaid.

Judge Martin Nolan described Carey’s actions as “reprehensible,” stating that he had “exploited people’s good nature.” Carey pleaded guilty in July to ten counts of dishonestly inducing others to give him money under false pretences, as well as two counts of using fake hospital letters to support his claims.

The court heard that Carey told victims he was receiving treatment for cancer at a hospital in Seattle and required funds for his care. Gardaí later confirmed there was no record of him ever being treated there, nor any medical evidence that he had cancer.

Among the victims was businessman Denis O’Brien, who gave Carey more than €125,000, as well as several friends, relatives, and acquaintances from his GAA career.

Carey’s defence counsel, Colman Cody, told the court that the former athlete had experienced severe financial difficulties after his business collapsed and had “fallen into a rut.” He said Carey had offered a “heartfelt, sincere apology” to his victims.

Judge Nolan said Carey’s offences represented a “serious breach of trust,” noting that while most fraud cases appeal to greed, Carey had taken advantage of generosity and empathy. He added that Carey’s reputation had suffered irreparably, but said a custodial sentence was inevitable given the scale and nature of the deception.