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Two Killarney roof scammers arrested in Sydney

By Sean Moriarty

Police in Sydney have arrested two Killarney men on foot of alleged roof scams in the Australian city.

Patrick Michael O'Brien, who is believed to have previously lived in Ballyspillane, was arrested nearby New South Wales Police near Sydney Airport on Monday.

The following day Tom Humphreys, who is originally from County Cork but had an address in Ballyspillane, was arrested at Sydney Airport while trying to flee the country.

Police allege O’Brien defrauded two women living in Sydney of $900,000 after he promised to repair their roofs. He defrauded a 70-year-old woman of $276,300 after carrying out work between May 2019 and August 2019 and that he defrauded a 56-year-old woman of $623,180 after conducting unfinished work on the roof of her home between September 2019 and December 2019.

Officers also allege that 41-year-old Humphreys posed as a tradesman and defrauded a 70-year-old woman of $103,500 after conducting unfinished work on the roof of her home in Dover Heights area of Sydney between January 2019 and February 2019.

O’Brien was identified while sitting in a car near the city’s airport on Monday of this week.

“He was taken to Kogarah Police Station, where the warrant was executed for the offences of receive property stolen outside NSW, and dishonestly obtain property by deception; he was also charged with a second count of dishonestly obtained property by deception over the Stanmore incident,” a NSW Police statement said.

On Tuesday Police detained Humphreys at Sydney Airport.

“He was taken to Mascot Police Station where he was charged with eight counts of dishonestly obtaining benefit by deception,” said a police statement.

Both men were refused bail and will face court again in June. It is not confirmed that the two incidents are linked.