A Monaghan man has been sentenced to three years in prison for multiple counts of deception and theft.
47 year old Michael McGauley with an address at Highfield, Carrickmacross appeared before the courts for incidents carried out while on probation for previous offences.
The charges came from incidents carried out between February 2016 and October 2018.
They related to counts of McGauley making a gain or causing a loss of large sums of money to multiple people through deception and theft.
Judge John Aylmer said the evidence heard previously was harrowing, particularly that of one "hardworking small businessman" who lived homeless in a tool shed for 18 months because of what happened.
It was said the accused seemed to shed a tear when he heard this last week, which was interpreted as remorse.
Judge Aylmer said the situation was made worse by the fact the offences were committed during a time when he was meant to be keeping the peace for previous offences, and he considered that there are still outstanding sentences for similar matters in Dundalk.
He also took into account that a guilty plea avoided five lengthy trials, that he cooperated with the investigation and that they were at a time when he lost his mother and his gambling addiction had peaked.
It was noted that he had went to some lengths to pay back previous victims but unfortunately wasn't in a position to provide compensation in this instance.
Michael McGauley was given three years and nine months for each charge of deception and three years for charges of theft - to run concurrently.
The final nine months were suspended on the agreement he entered a bond to keep the peace for 15 months and that he remain under the supervision of the probation service and abstain from gambling and alcohol.
