Travellers used IRA con to trick farmer out of £1m, court told

Yesterday Judge Rodney Grant told Dennis McGinley, 30, a traveller,

that his actions had "ruined lives" as he heard details of those

defrauded by McGinley and his wife Bianca McGinley, in similar scams up and down the country amounting to 1.9m.

In one case a North Yorkshire farmer's money paid for a number of luxury cars, including a Lamborghini and in another case a man was left bankrupt.

The North Yorkshire farmer, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, lives with his elderly mother on a 600-acre farm in North Yorkshire. He had earlier been persuaded to lend money to an Irishman called Mr Wilson. Later in January 2008, another man, McGinley, posing as Paul Quinn, got in touch.

Andrew Dallas, prosecuting at Leeds Crown Court, said: "McGinley spoke to them about an Irishman and said that he represented an organisation from Ireland with three letters in their name."

They were told that the money given to the Irishman had been linked to drugs.

Money was obtained from the farmer on the promise the debt would be repaid. The farmer, referred to in court as Mr Y, had to borrow from family and friends to meet the demands.

In February 2008 Mr Y was rung by a man known as "the boss" who demanded more and told that if he failed to do so he and his mother would be dead.

He said Mr Y co-operated because of mixed promises, reinforced by aggression.

Some money had been recovered but Mr Y was still missing more than 900,000.

In another case a father and son, in Staffordshire, were conned out of almost 800,000.

The McGinleys have no fixed address but are travelllers. McGinley's home was a caravan site in Essex and he was on the run from the authorities in Ireland when arrested. His wife, 25, nee Broadway, married McGinley in May 2008.

McGinley has admitted conspiracy to defraud, blackmail and money laundering and his wife has admitted conspiracy to defraud and money laundering.

Richard Simons, representing McGinley, said in mitigation none of the threats of violence had been carried out.

Kieran Galvin representing his wife said she was of previous good character and had pleaded guilty.

The case continues.