DUBLIN, Ireland: A couple from Dublin linked to more than 30 personal injury claims that another court had thrown out is facing contempt charges and a possible jail term for disobeying a court order.

Judge John O'Connor told Frank Gaynor (60) on February 26 that he had not come across as credible, and directed that he and his wife attend the hearings on March 6 to allow them attempt to dissuade the court from sending them to jail.

The couple, Gaynor and his wife Sylvia, had been ordered by Judge O'Connor to demolish unlawful developments at their upmarket home, but have not made any attempt to remove them.

Gaynor told Judge O'Connor he was broke and did not have the money to pay someone to remove the illegal cabins and other developments. He said he was in serious financial trouble, and a bank was in the process of repossessing his home. He was fighting it in the courts with the help of MABS and needed legal aid.

Gaynor told the court that he and his wife live in the house with their two disabled daughters, two other daughters, and three sons.

Barrister Tim O'Sullivan, representing Fingal County Council, said the council had received a court order in 2023 requiring the demolition of the illegal buildings and the restoration of the land. However, since then, the council has not been allowed past the locked gates of the Gaynors' home to inspect what needs to be removed or to check whether any other building work was carried out without planning permission.

O'Sullivan, who appeared with solicitor Karl Gormley, said the house looked well-maintained and did not appear to belong to people with money problems. He pointed out that luxury cars were parked in the driveway, suggesting the family was not in financial hardship.

Judge O'Connor said he did not want to send anyone to prison, but Gaynor had been given ample time to comply with the court order and had done nothing. The judge also said Gaynor had not helped the court avoid taking serious action against him.

When asked about earlier court cases, Gaynor denied being involved in many of them. He said that was not true and that he had only been involved in four or five road traffic cases. He said someone had given the court wrong information about him.

Gaynor said he believed the building case was still ongoing and thought his solicitor was appealing everything. When the judge said two previous solicitors had withdrawn from the case, Gaynor said he had not permitted his solicitor to step down.

When asked why he had not allowed council inspectors onto the property, he said he did not know they had tried to visit and claimed they had never contacted him. He then wrote down his phone number and gave it to O'Sullivan, agreeing to let inspectors in at an agreed time. He told the judge they could call him, and he would be there.

An inspection was arranged for 11 a.m. on March 4, and he and his wife agreed to return to court on March 6. O'Sullivan said the council would need two hours to complete the inspection.

At an earlier hearing before Judge Christopher Callan, the court was told the family had been connected to 26 previous personal injury claims. They had also filed six more claims seeking 360,000 euros in damages from a driver they said had hit their car from behind. However, they did not appear in court to support those claims, and Judge Callan dismissed all of them.