Cheltenham Gold Cup winning owner Conor Clarkson charged with fraud offences

Mr Clarkson (59), a property developer who owned 2005 Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Kicking King, appeared at Bray District Court charged with the use of several false instruments, including a deed, an indenture and a death certificate.

A co-accused, Mr Clarkson’s business associate Paul Wrynn (45), also appeared in court charged with a related offence.

Evidence of arrest, charge and caution was handed into Judge David Kennedy by a prosecuting garda.

The judge was told the Director of Public Prosecutions had directed both accused be sent forward for a trial on indictment to the Circuit Court.

The charges carry a maximum prison term of 10 years.

Judge Kennedy was told the State had an application to make slight amendments to the charges. There was no objection to the amendments from Mr Clarkson or Mr Wrynn, who were both in court.

The case was adjourned to September for the service of a book of evidence.

Neither Mr Clarkson nor Mr Wrynn addressed the court during the brief hearing.

The circumstances surrounding the charges was not outlined in court.

Mr Clarkson, of Cairnfort, Enniskerry Road, Stepaside, Co Dublin, is charged with using several false instruments in October 2014. These include a deed and an indenture between a woman called Jean Duggan and James and Nora Ginty.

It is alleged Mr Clarkson knew these documents to be false and used them to induce another person to accept them as genuine, to the prejudice of Ms Duggan.

He is also accused of using another false instrument, a statutory declaration of Ms Duggan, dated October 20, 2014, with the intention that it be used to induce another person to accept it as genuine, to the prejudice of Ms Duggan,

A further charge relates to the use of another a false instrument, a death certificate of Peter Duggan.

His co-accused Mr Wrynn, of Roberstwood, Glensynge, Enniskerry, Co Wicklow, appeared in court charged with using a false instrument, an indenture between Ms Duggan and James and Nora Ginty.

The alleged offence also relates to a date in October 2014.

All of the charges were contrary to the Criminal Justice (Theft and Fraud Offences) Act 2001.

Mr Clarkson is a well-known figure in business and horseracing circles.

During the Celtic Tiger era, he was involved in the selling and letting of property in Ireland and abroad and had a stake in a charter airline.

Supported by Irish Nationwide Building Society, his company Ardenhill Property invested in property in the north of England.

However, in common with many other developers, his property-related debts ended up in Nama following the financial crisis in 2007 and 2008, and these were later sold to Promontoria, an Irish affiliate of vulture fund Cerberus.

In 2019, the High Court heard he had debts of €70m.

He faced a bankruptcy petition from a creditor but this was struck out in 2021 after a settlement was reached.