A MAN WHO used fake documents to apply for a €270,000 mortgage in order to give his family “a stable home” has received a fully suspended sentence.

Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that Patrick Spollen, 36, used the loan to buy a house in Walkinstown, Dublin. He and his family now live there and he continues to service the mortgage.

Spollen of Thomas Moore Road, Walkinstown pleaded guilty to inducing Bank of Ireland by deception on dates in August 2016 in order to make a gain for himself.

Detective Garda Patrick Fagan told Antonia Boyle BL, prosecuting, that in August 2016 Spollen applied to Bank of Ireland for the mortgage. He provided records of employment and income and bank account and credit union statements.

A mortgage of €270,000 was approved and in October 2016 Spollen drew this down. A subsequent investigation into the documentation found it was not in order and the bank contacted gardaí.

The garda investigation found the documents provided did not match the records from the bank or credit union and that Mr Spollen had no recorded employment since 2010.

Gardaí arrested Spollen in early 2017. He told detectives that the documents “were not legit”.

Dominic McGinn SC, defending, told the court that at the time Spollen was working as a self employed chauffeur and did not believe he could be able to demonstrate his earnings “in a tangible way” necessary to get mortgage approval.

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Counsel said Spollen wanted to get his partner and their young daughter out of rented accommodation and into “a stable home”. Mr McGinn said his client was misguided but “he was trying to do his best for his family”.

He said that the mortgage repayments are ongoing and regular and that the bank is “quite happy” to allow Spollen to continue to live there. He said the deception did not cause the bank any loss.

In a character reference a former employer described Spollen as reliable and trustworthy.

Judge Melanie Greally suspended a two year prison sentence on condition he keep the peace and be of good behaviour. She said she was giving him credit for his guilty plea, his record of repayments and his family circumstances.