DJ Carey has been jailed for five-and-a-half years for defrauding twenty-two people out of a total of almost €400,000.

The five-time All-Ireland winner did so by pretending he had cancer and needed money to pay for specialist treatment in the United States.

By pretending he had cancer to extract money from his victims, Judge Martin Nolan told DJ Carey he had exploited the good nature and goodwill of others.

He described his behaviour as "reprehensible."

He noted his guilty pleas, lack of previous convictions, good work history and contribution to society.

He said he was a "formidable sportsman... probably one of the best hurlers ever," and now the subject of public ridicule with his reputation destroyed.

Judge Nolan said it was hard to know what motivated him.

Taking everything into account, he then jailed him for 5 and a half 5 years.

At his sentence hearing on Friday, the court heard DJ Carey has paid back only €45,000 of the almost €400,000 he swindled out of his victims.

Reporting by Frank Greaney