The photo of shameless sports star that fooled thousands

One of Ireland’s most renowned sports stars has pleaded guilty to pretending to have cancer to induce people to give him money – and it all centres on a photograph that fooled thousands. 

DJ Carey, who is widely recognised as one of the greatest hurlers of all time, pleaded guilty to 10 counts at the Circuit Court in Dublin’s Criminal Courts of Justice on Wednesday. 

Billionaire Denis O’Brien is among several people who gave the ex-Kilkenny sportsman money after he fraudulently claimed he needed to fund cancer treatment.

Carey, 54, is one of the most acclaimed figures in GAA history, having won five All-Ireland titles and nine All-Star awards. 

When he retired from inter-county hurling in 2006, he was hailed as an ‘idol’ for young players and a legend of the game.

Since his guilty plea, a photograph of the former star has resurfaced on social media, appearing to show him lying in a hospital bed. 

The image, thought to have been sent to his victims, shows Carey with ‘tubes’ up his nose – which, on closer inspection, seems to be an iPhone cable taped to his face. 

Carey was said to have induced his victims to make a monetary payment to him between 2014 and 2022 after fraudulently claiming to have cancer and saying he needed finances to obtain treatment.

A photograph of DJ Carey, as shown on the Crimeworld podcast, appearing to show the former hurling star with an iPhone cable up his nose

After retiring from the sport in 2006, Carey enjoyed celebrity status. Pictured with Tess Daly in 2005

In relation to Mr O’Brien, he was charged with inducing him to make a payment to him between January 2014 and late 2022.

The court heard from Carey’s defence team that while cancer was referred to in the indictment, Carey ‘does have very genuine health conditions’ and required surgery for a heart condition last year.

The court heard he needs to attend check-ups periodically and that evidence from his surgeons can be provided.

The plea is a remarkable fall from grace from Carey – who enjoyed a celebrity-esque status after retiring from hurling in 2006. 

In a senior inter-county career that lasted for 15 years, he won five All-Ireland medals and his tally of 34 goals and 195 points from 57 championship games marks him out as one of the top scorers in the history of the game.

In a recent episode of the Crime World podcast, he was described as the ‘Maradona [referring to footballer Diego Maradona] of hurling’ – one of Ireland’s native Gaelic games played outside with a stick (hurley) and ball (sliotar). 

Former Kilkenny hurler DJ Carey arrives at the Criminal Courts of Justice in Dublin on Wednesday where he is charged with inducing people to pay him money after fraudulently claiming to have cancer

Carey, 54, is one of the most acclaimed figures in GAA history, having won five All-Ireland titles and nine All-Star awards (pictured in 2000)

One of Carey’s victims included Irish businessman Denis O’Brien (pictured in 2018)

DJ Carey with his sons Sean and Mikey in November 2013

Legendary Hurler DJ Carey (left) of Kilkenny and Australia captain Ricky Ponting (right) during a media event at Croke Park, Dublin, 2010

But his history of financial struggle has been well documented as Allied Irish Banks secured an initial debt repayment court order for about £7.3million in May 2011. 

Carey settled his debt with AIB in 2018 in a settlement that reduced his debt of over €9.5 million to €60,000 – just 0.63 per cent of the amount originally owed. 

In 2015, speaking on RTE’s Ray D’Arcy radio show, Carey said: ‘I am not one of those who would say ‘I don’t care’ about repaying debt.’

‘You borrow money, it should be paid back,’ he said, adding that ‘to whatever extent that can be, I would still be conscious it has to be done’.

Carey’s family members are also well-known in the world of Irish sport. 

His sister, Catriona, was a member of the Ireland women’s field hockey team and the Kilkenny senior camogie team. 

Meanwhile his brother Martin was also a member of the Kilkenny hurling panel as the substitute goalkeeper. 

Carey had appeared in court in late 2023 charged with 21 counts under the Theft and Fraud Offences Act, at which point a four-week trial was expected to take place this year.

On Wednesday, he arrived at criminal courts of justice where he was due to stand trial on deception charges at the Dublin circuit criminal court. 

Taoiseach Bertie Ahern TD sits with DJ Carey at the photocall to launch Happy Heart Week-end in 2006

Instead, prosecuting counsel Dominic McGinn told the court that a jury would not be required as Mr Carey would be entering guilty pleas. 

A sentencing date has been set for Wednesday October 29 and Carey was remanded on bail until then. 

Shockingly, Carey is not the only cancer faker, a fraudster who lies about having the illness to scam funds from concerned well-wishers, to have come from famous origin. 

In cases that have caused shock and outrage around the world, the con artists with public platforms have later been exposed for lying about having the sickness. 

One of the most renowned cases includes influencer Belle Gibson, who rose to prominence in 2012 as a self-proclaimed health guru who had ‘cured’ her own brain cancer through healthy eating, clean living and ‘positive thinking’.

Within a year, her inspirational Instagram account @healing_belle had amassed thousands of followers, many of them hopeful cancer sufferers, who would go on to download her wellness app, The Whole Pantry, and buy her cookbook of the same name.

Gibson (pictured) claimed she had undergone traditional cancer treatments including chemotherapy and radiotherapy before abandoning modern medicine to follow a programme of clean eating instead

Throughout it all, Gibson claimed her earnings – reportedly more than $1 million – would be donated to various cancer charities. 

But there was one big problem: Gibson never had cancer, and eventually her empire came crashing down after two Australian journalists discovered she had been lying about it all – not just her disease but her philanthropy, too. Despite the con, gay porn Gibson never faced any jail time.

After a drawn-out and dramatic case against the Federal Court of Australia, she was ordered by the court in 2017 to pay AU$410,000 (US$257,000) for her false claims of charitable donations.

Her story was dramatised in Netflix show Apple Cider Vinegar earlier this year.  

Combined with her legal fees, she must cough up about half a million dollars (US$313,000). It’s been almost a decade since then and she hasn’t paid the fine.

CrimeCancer