Coalisland man admits conning a friend out of £13,000

A COALISLAND man who conned a friend out of more than £13,000 has avoided immediate jail after being handed a suspended sentence at Belfast Crown Court.

Eamonn Noel Knocker (36), of Ardnasaggart Terrace, admitted fraud by false representation between January 2019 and November 2022.

Judge Neil Rafferty KC sentenced him to 16 months in prison, suspended for three years, and ordered him to repay the £13,170 he stole. Knocker was given four months to make the restitution.

The court heard he tricked his female victim into transferring money on at least five occasions by falsely claiming he needed to pay fines or face jail. Judge Rafferty said she was a ‘really decent, honest, compassionate, empathetic human being who was exploited by the defendant’.

He described Knocker’s behaviour as ‘nasty, mean and pre-meditated’, adding, “You exploited her decency and good heart.”

A Crown barrister said Knocker had ‘preyed’ on his victim in a ‘sustained’ and ‘calculated’ campaign.

In mitigation, Knocker’s barrister said his offending was of ‘several years’ vintage’ and that he had not committed any further offences. She told the court her client suffered from a ‘multitude of mental health issues’ and that his behaviour was ‘out of character’ and committed when he was ‘crippled with mental health issues, grief and addiction’.

She confirmed Knocker had already raised £8,500 towards repayment and stressed that he had shown remorse. She also told the court he and the victim had a ‘great friendship but were not in a relationship’.

Judge Rafferty acknowledged Knocker’s ‘appalling background’ including domestic violence, homelessness, mental health problems and addiction.

Warning him not to reoffend, he said, “If you stay out of trouble nothing further will happen.”