Wedding Planner Pleads Guilty to Theft in Dublin Court
Sue Danker, an Irish expat and wedding planner, has admitted to theft charges in a Dublin court. Danker had previously left numerous couples in the lurch on their wedding day when she disappeared from the Costa del Sol in 2012. Her company, Spanish Dream Weddings, had gone bankrupt.
Reality TV Appearance After Financial Scandal
Danker, along with her then-husband and business partner Howard Danker, had been featured in an RTE documentary in 2007 titled The Great Escape. The documentary chronicled their move from south Dublin to Marbella to establish their wedding business. After fleeing the Costa del Sol due to the financial scandal, Danker appeared alone in the reality TV show Clubland, The Wright Venue in 2015.
Financial Difficulties and Wedding Planning Scam
The Olive Press first reported on the financial troubles of Danker’s company in October 2012. Numerous expats had come forward to reveal that they had been deprived of their dream weddings due to the wedding planning scam. Danker confessed in court that she continued to operate until September 2012 when she no longer had sufficient funds to pay contractors.
Guilty Plea for Deception and Theft
Danker pleaded guilty to three counts of deception and three counts of theft between September 7 and 10, 2012. Detective Garda James Codd informed the court that Sarah Foran and Colm Moriarty, who were planning to get married in Spain in September 2012, had paid Danker approximately €10,000 to organize the event. However, eight days before the wedding, Foran discovered that none of the contractors had been paid.
Victims Left Unpaid and Powerless
Detective Garda Codd listed the unpaid parties, which included a florist, a DJ, a videographer, a singer, and a flamenco dance troupe. Church fees were also unpaid. In a victim impact report, Foran stated that Danker’s actions had ruined their wedding day. Danker had continued to request payments from the couple, and the court heard that she was desperately trying to offset deposits and commissions from one wedding to fulfill obligations to another.
Defence Claims Danker Relied on Failed Investment
Olan Callanan BL, defending, stated that Danker, who had successfully organized about 200 weddings, was relying on an investment of €12,000 promised earlier that summer. He conceded that his client continued to run the business in a chaotic and haphazard manner, and the promised cash injection never materialized when a person in Gibraltar absconded with the money.
Danker’s Disappearance and New Job in Ireland
Danker disappeared from the Costa del Sol and in 2015, the Olive Press exclusively revealed that she had secured a job as the PA to Irish multi-millionaire Michael Wright. She also appeared in a reality TV show Clubland based on his nightclub, The Wright Venue. The Wright Venue’s press officer, Tatum Rooney, stated at the time that Danker had committed to resolving all issues with the involved parties.
Suspended Prison Term and Reparation Payments
The judge issued a suspended three-year prison sentence to Danker on the condition that a sum of €9,500, which was brought to court, be paid to the victims. An additional €5,000 must be paid over the next two years.
