DJ Carey sentencing deferred to Friday as court are told he is in hospital

Gardaí had been told by the hospital in question that Carey was not an in-patient as of Tuesday

The former Kilkenny hurler was due to be sentenced on Wednesday for defrauding people into thinking he had cancer, seeking money for treatment. 

The court has been told he is in hospital, coming after lawyers said in July that he did have “genuinely significant” health issues and required heart surgery last year.

Carey pleaded guilty in July to ten counts of dishonestly inducing people to pay him between 2014 and 2022, having falsely claimed he had cancer.

The Irish Times report the sentencing has been deferred until Friday.

Carey’s barrister handed in a sick note to the judge on Wednesday morning, while Prosecuting Counsel Dominic McGinn told the court he had received a medical letter photocopy which claimed Carey was in the Portiuncula University Hospital in Co Galway. 

McGinn said gardaí had been told by the hospital that Carey was not an in-patient as of Tuesday.

Carey, who has been on bail in advance of the hearing, was honoured as Hurler of the Year in 2000 and earned nine All-Star awards over the course of his career. 

Following his retirement from playing, he went on to manage the Kilkenny U21 team and served as a selector for the county’s senior side.