Dublin couple linked with more than 30 injury claims face jail

Ray Managh

Luxury cars parked in a Dublin couple’s driveway did not suggest they were in financial difficulties, despite the husband, plumber and taxi driver Frank Gaynor, telling a judge he was broke.

Gaynor and his wife, Sylvia, currently attending a funeral in the UK, were facing being jailed by Judge John O’Connor in the Circuit Civil Court today, but only Frank Gaynor turned up.

Having failed to remove a number of residential cabins and other illegal developments on their gated property at Drishoge Manor, Oldtown, north Co Dublin, the couple face imprisonment for contempt of court orders.

Judge O’Connor, who told Frank Gaynor on Thursday that he had not come across in his court as credible, directed that he and his wife attend on March 6th next to allow them attempt to dissuade the court from sending them to jail.

The couple, whose family were linked to more than 30 personal injury claims that had been thrown out by another court, have already been ordered by Judge O’Connor to remove unlawful developments at their upmarket home but have not made any attempt to take them down.

Frank Gaynor, in his 60s, who attended court on Thursday, told Judge O’Connor he was broke and did not have the money to pay someone to remove them.

He said he was in serious financial trouble and a bank was currently in the process of attempting to re-possess his home. He was fighting it in the courts with the help of MABS and needed legal aid.

Barrister Tim O’Sullivan, counsel for Fingal County Council which obtained orders for the demolition and removal of the unlawful developments and reinstatement of the site, said that since the 2023 court order the local authority had never been permitted access beyond the locked gates of the Gaynors’ home to inspect what needed to be removed or what other developments may have been carried out without planning permission.

O’Sullivan, who appeared with solicitor Karl Gormley for the local authority, added that Gaynor’s home was a well maintained property which did not look like one in which the occupants would have financial difficulties.

“From the luxury cars parked in the drive way it does not seem the occupants are in financial hardship,” ’Sullivan said.

Judge O’Connor said he did not want to send anyone to prison but Mr Gaynor, despite having plenty of time to abide by the court order had done nothing about it and had given the court no help in avoiding committing them.

When asked about previous court appearances on other matters Gaynor denied any involvement in a large number of court cases.

“That is a fabrication. I deny it. I have been involved in about four or five road traffic cases. Somebody has misinformed you on my credibility,” Gaynor said.

He said he believed the development case was still ongoing before the court and he thought his solicitor was appealing everything.

When Judge O’Connor said he had two solicitors previously who came off record in the case Gaynor said he had not given his solicitor permission to come off record.

He told the court he had family and financial problems. He and his wife lived in their home with two disabled daughters and another two daughters and three sons.

When questioned as to why he had not allowed council inspectors access to his property he said he was not aware of their visits. He said they had never contacted him.

At this stage he wrote down his telephone number on a piece of paper and handed it to O’Sullivan and agreed to allow inspectors access at an arranged time and date

“If they give me a call I will be there for them,” he told Judge O’Connor. An appointment was agreed for 11am on March 4th, and he agreed that he and his wife would attend court again on March 6th. O’Sullivan told the court the local authority would require two hours to carry out its inspections.

At an earlier court hearing, Judge Christopher Callan was told the family had been linked to 26 previous personal injury claims and had brought a further six for damages totalling €360,000 against a car owner they claimed had rear ended them.

They had not turned up to promote their claims and Judge Callan struck out all of them.