The long running scandal surrounding DJ Carey was brought to end this earlier this week, with the Kilkenny hurling legend being sentenced to five-and-a-half years in prison for for defrauding people after fraudulently claiming he needed money for cancer treatment.

The court previously heard that he had defrauded 22 people of over €400,000, only around €44,000 of which has been repaid.

The sentence was issued by Judge Martin Nolan, who had this say about the former GAA star’s actions:

He exploited the good nature of others. Mr Carey exploited the good nature of people, he knew a lot of these people.

His reputation has been destroyed.  It will be a tough life for him when he comes out of jail. What he did was grossly wrong.

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Joe Brolly Goes Against The Grain With Take On DJ Carey 

DJ Carey has been a subject of ridicule in the public forum throughout this legal process, with his reported outlandish behaviour having led to countless memes and jokes at his expense.

Speaking on the Free State podcast, Joe Brolly had a slightly different view on the matter. The former Derry footballer said that while Carey acted in an egregious manner, his story was one that ultimately led Brolly to view him as a ‘lost soul’.

He’s a lost soul…

I hope I’m not a sanctimonious person or self righteous person. What he did was outrageous and it involved adopting a life of lies and deliberately exploiting people using those lies.

I understand all of that and he has received a very heavy punishment. But for me, he’s a lost soul…

Here he is this evening in a prison cell, a pariah now until the day that he dies, utterly isolated. You will say ‘he is paying for his sins’, that may be so.

But for me, it’s a human tragedy…

There is no redemption here. He is too well known, he is too isolated now.

People tend in these circumstances to have relish, to treat it with a lack of christianity, a lack of forgiveness, a lack of that sort of compassion that people normally have…

What could be worse for him? It’s hard to think how his life could be worse now, how genuinely he has destroyed it. Another fallen angel.

Speaking prior to the sentencing, Joe Brolly said his main reaction to Carey’s situation was ‘compassion for a fallen human’.

DJ Carey would plead guilty to all ten counts against him in this process, with the accusations dating from January 1 2014 – December 31st, 2022.

He has already started his prison sentence, being remanded in custody from last Friday as he awaited sentencing earlier this week.

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