Two brothers who pretended to sell a laptop to a Polish woman but instead gave her a laptop case with two bottles of water in it have been convicted and fined.
The woman handed €250 to the brothers at the Old Longford Road, Mullingar on February 8 this year in exchange for what she thought was a HP laptop.
John Sweeney, 53 Meadowpark, Westport Rd, Castlebar and Eddie Sweeney, 18 Na Lantain, Castlebar Road, Ballinasloe pleaded guilty to the offence.
Judge John Neilan said it was a serious offence and cautioned the two men about being back in his District Court area to con people or “convince them there’s a valuable item in a briefcase”.
Eddie Sweeney was fined €1,000 on the basis of 10 previous convictions for road traffic offences. John Sweeney, who has no previous convictions, was fined €500.
Compensation was also paid.
