A few days after selling three paintings he allegedly stole from the Fitzwilliam Hotel, Dublin celebrity chef Conrad Gallagher told its general manager they had been taken from him by "rough people", a court heard yesterday.
The jury at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard on day two of Mr Gallagher's trial that he sold the three Felim Egan abstract paintings for an advance of £9,000 to a fine art auctioneer on November 21st, 2000 but made the "rough people" robbery claim on November 24th, 2000.
Hotel employee Mr John Kavanagh told prosecuting counsel, Ms Melanie Greally, he noticed in late October 2000 that the paintings were missing from the wall of Mr Gallagher's restaurant in the hotel. He said he asked Mr Gallagher where they were and the accused replied that he had taken them down because one of them had come loose and needed more secure fittings.
He showed the paintings being held in the chef's area of the restaurant at the time.
Mr Kavanagh said he went on holiday shortly afterwards and noticed that the paintings were still not on the wall.
He asked Mr Gallagher on Wednesday November 24th, 2000 where they were and he replied that they would be re-hung on the wall by 5 p.m. that Friday.
Mr Gallagher rang him on Friday and told him there had been a slight delay in the plans and that the paintings would be on the wall on Saturday.
Some time later Mr Gallagher burst into his office and said: "They are gone!" Mr Kavanagh said he asked Mr Gallagher what was gone and he replied that "rough people" to whom he owed money had taken the paintings from him.
He also told Mr Kavanagh that he would not be able to get the paintings back and that these were "not very pleasant" people who were threatening him.
Mr Gallagher (32), formerly of Killiney Hill Road, Killiney, and with an address at Pembroke Road, Ballsbridge, denies stealing the three paintings from the Fitzwilliam Hotel on St Stephen's Green on dates unknown between November 2nd and November 22nd, 2000.
He has also pleaded not guilty to obtaining money by false pretences on November 21st, 2000 at The Lodge, Killiney Hill Road with intent to defraud through getting £9,000 from Mr Bryan Greene by falsely pretending that the paintings were his property to sell.
Earlier, Mr Greene said he visited Mr Gallagher's home on November 21st, 2000 where he had valued several items that Mr Gallagher wanted to sell.
Mr Gallagher, for whom he had sold paintings before, but had not met in person, rang him and asked him if he could buy some paintings and items off him as he was in dire financial straits and needed money.
He agreed to visit Mr Gallagher's home in Killiney on the same day to see if there were any items of value that he would be interested in buying. He identified several.
The items included, among other things, the three paintings that Mr Gallagher is accused of stealing. Mr Greene told Ms Greally he agreed to give Mr Gallagher an advance of £9,000 for the items.
He said he asked Mr Gallagher if he owned all the items, including the paintings and he said he did.
He was to return the money to the auctioneers with interest, amounting to £10,000 in total within one week.
Failure to do so would mean that his items would go on public auction on December 4th, 2000 and if the sale realised more than £10,000, he would be given the balance.
Mr Greene said Mr Gallagher had not returned the money by December 4th, 2000 and the paintings were sold at public auction on that day.
The case continues today.