Patrick O’Brien: Irish roofer bashed in jail

A roofer who is alleged to have scammed $900,000 from victims as part of an "elaborate and organised” scheme has been brutally bashed in jail, a court heard.

Patrick O’Brien . Source: NSW Police force

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UPDATE

The case against alleged Irish conman Patrick Michael O’Brien has been delayed yet again with a court hearing the accused had been set upon by whilst behind bars.

O’Brien, 39, is accused of scamming almost $1 million out of Sydney residents, including an elderly woman, claiming they needed roof repairs.

He was arrested last May and police have previously alleged in court he was not licensed to carry out the work and used fake names.

On Tuesday Magistrate Robert Williams was unimpressed at the joint application for the case to be adjourned for charge certification for a third time but O’Brien’s lawyer said there was a genuine reason.

“My instructions are case conference was delayed because Mr O’Brien was assaulted in custody and he was in hospital,” the lawyer said.

“I will give you one week,” Magistrate Williams said.

O’Brien faces four counts each of doing residential building work without insurance, doing the work without a licence and demanding or receiving payment for building without insurance.

He is also charged with six counts of dishonestly obtaining property by deception and one of receiving property stolen outside NSW valued at more than $2000 but less than $5000.

He will reappear in Central Local Court on March 2.

Earlier 

Irish tradie in alleged $900k scam fronts court

By Joanna Panagopoulos, May 26, 2020

Patrick Michael O’Brien, 39, appeared via audiovisual link in the light blue polo shirt and chino jeans he was arrested in on Monday night (May 26) as he sat in a car outside the Novotel in Wolli Creek.

Police had a search warrant out for his arrest since May 19.

O’Brien held his closed fists to his mouth briefly during the court hearing as though praying.

The court heard O’Brien scammed two victims of $900,000 in an “elaborate and organised” scheme, in which he used fake companies and names to “coerce” his victims.

Patrick O’Brien was arrested after midnight on May 26 following his arrest. Picture: NSW Police

In one instance, he used the name “Scott” and operated under fake company PNS Renovations, registered to an address in Eastgardens.

It is alleged he defrauded a 56-year-old woman of $623,000 for incomplete roofing work on her Kensington home between September and December 2019, and $276,300 from a 70-year old woman for unqualified work on her Stanmore home in May to August 2019.

It was suggested in court that this money was sent back to his wife in Ireland.

The court heard O’Brien was on a medical visa for his son and had been living in the eastern suburbs and various Sydney hotels during his stay.

Upon denying him bail, it was noted that his four children and his wife had moved back to Ireland about four months ago and that O’Brien’s visa was now under review, making him a “flight risk”.

The court heard he has one sister living in Sydney’s eastern suburbs who offered to put up an ‘unsubstantial’ $1000 surety, but was described as having no community ties.

Patrick O’Brien’s arrest on May 26. Picture: NSW Police

The alleged scam followed a pattern.

After approaching his victims for roofing work and quoting a figure, a court was told he would then hassle them for further large sums of money, which they would put into a bank account not belonging to O’Brien.

The bank account belonged to a female accomplice, who would take the money out in $50,000 bundles at various banks, while O’Brien waited in the car outside it was alleged.

She has since returned to Ireland.

The magistrate called it a “targeted action against vulnerable people in the community where significant if not exorbitant sums of money” were paid.

The prosecutor referred to bank reports, a clear paper trail of receipts, and a lack of expenditure on building materials as strong evidence against O’Brien’s alleged ruse.

But the court heard numerous times that he would strongly maintain his innocence.

His defence lawyer claimed simply there was “work to be done, work was done, money was exchanged”.

She denied any coercion of his alleged victims.

The court heard part of the victims’ homes were “now inhabitable” and the victims had given up their life savings and superannuation to pay him.

While in Australia, three of his children attended Matraville Public School and another attended a school for children with disabled needs in the eastern suburbs.

He will return to Central Local Court on June 11.