https://www.thesun.ie/news/3825527/lithuanian-man-rubbish-collector-fake-dublin-crash/SIN BIN Lithuanian man and rubbish collector, 39, who sought €60,000 compo after FAKE Dublin crash is forced to pay €12,500After the rear-ending in Holywell, Swords, three Lithuanians — driver Deividas Kaciukas, 39, and two passengers Stelmokas and Julius Zivelis, 30, — took out separate €60,000 personal injury claims against Hertz totalling €180,000EXCLUSIVE
By Gary Meneely
5th March 2019, 7:30 amUpdated: 5th March 2019, 7:58 am
A WASTE worker has been forced to cough up almost €12,500 over a crash compo claim which was found to be total garbage.
Lithuanian national Audrius Stelmokas had alleged he suffered injuries in a smash.
After the ‘accident’ in Swords, north Co Dublin, the 39-year-old filed a personal injury suit for €60,000.
But today we expose bin lorry driver Stelmokas who admits the whole compo bid stank.
Asked by the Irish Sun if it was a staged and fake accident, Stelmokas replied: “Yeah.”
The waste collector confirmed he has stumped up a lorry load of cash to a car rental company who ran up a legal and investigation bill rumbling the “accident for deceit”.
Stelmokas was a passenger in a motor which was hit by a Hertz rental car in February 2015.
After the rear-ending in Holywell, Swords, three Lithuanians — bashed driver Deividas Kaciukas, 39, and his two passengers Stelmokas and
Julius Zivelis, 30, — took out separate €60,000 personal injury claims against Hertz totalling €180,000.
But the trio withdrew the compo bids on the morning their case was to be heard after learning, at the last minute, that the fraud had been uncovered.
Two judges have urged gardai to get involved in the case as Hertz hit a number of Lithuanian men involved in the set-up accident with bills which the firm amassed uncovering the scam.
Stelmokas, of Tallaght, Dublin, has now settled the €12,467.93 tab the rental company invested in fighting his claim in connection with the staged smash.
We understand the bill included fees for solicitors, barristers, technical experts, private investigators and general witnesses.
Confronted by the Irish Sun, rubbish collector Stelmokas came clean about the compo con and confirmed he had paid the Hertz probe bill. He said: “Yeah, yeah, I paid last week.”
A court had heard claims the men involved in the set-up accident had denied they knew each other.
But quizzed by us, Stelmokas admitted he was pals with Kaciukas who was driving the motor which was rear-ended by a Hertz rental car.
Stelmokas said: “Deividas, yeah, I know him. Only one guy from the whole thing.”
He added: “I’m just passenger (in one of the cars involved in the accident), no idea. Talk to Deividas, he is the driver. He is friend of mine…he is the driver.”
Asked if any of the other failed plaintiffs would pay Hertz as the firm seeks to recover costs incurred over the bogus claims, Stelmokas said: “I don’t know about that.”
Stelmokas had filed a personal injury suit for €60,000 after a Ford Fiesta rented from Hertz was driven into the rear of Kaciukas’s Honda Civic.
But speaking to the Irish Sun, the binman insisted: “No, I was looking only for €5,000 or something.”
After confirming he had paid the bill racked up by Hertz defending his failed claim, Stelmokas told of his hope of making a clean break from the episode.
He said: “I don’t need this trouble, I don’t need to go to court…
“I’m just the passenger (in one of the cars involved in the accident), if a court say I must pay, I pay.”
A legal battle has been festering over the February 2015 ‘crash’, with Hertz securing a number of judgements against the Lithuanians involved in the smash.
In a dramatic development, Hertz barrister Tanya Smith told Dublin District Court the firm recouped cash from Stelmokas.
Smith said: “This was a staged accident. In relation to that matter, there is an order of €12,467.93.
“However, Mr Stelmokas contacted our solicitor last week and agreed to pay two instalments of €5,000 and a further instalment of €2,467.93.
“All three instalments have been made as of last week. So I am seeking to have this matter struck out.”
Judge Michael Coghlan got revved-up as he learned Hertz had squeezed their probe bill money out of Stelmokas and declared: “Happy days.”
The judge congratulated Hertz and added: “So strike out and no further order.”
But during the hearing, it emerged another plotter, Kaciukas, had been ordered to pay €12,977.86 to Hertz — but the court heard he hadn’t paid up.
On the case against Kaciukas, Smith said: “This is in relation to a road traffic incident which occurred a number of years ago.
“It was a matter determined to be a staged accident. In relation to that, there was an order made for €12,977.86. There was an execution order and the sheriff was sent to the property. He was personally served in relation to this matter today.”
Another Lithuanian man, Rainmaldas Vaswtis, rented a Ford Fiesta at the Hertz depot at Dublin Airport before the smash, with Vladimiras Zubko as a named driver.
The court was told the sheriff has been unable to recoup any money from Kaciukas. Both Stelmokas and Kaciukas failed to show for the hearing last week.
The judge made an instalment order for €120 a month against Kaciukas in his absence.
Another Lithuanian man, Rainmaldas Vaswtis, rented a Ford Fiesta at the Hertz depot at Dublin Airport before the smash, with Vladimiras Zubko as a named driver.
Zubko, of Ballyconnell, Co Cavan, was alleged to have driven the Hertz rental car into the rear of Kaciukas’s Honda Civic, in which the other two plaintiffs were passengers.
After the ‘crash’, Stelmokas, Zivelis, of Hartstown, and Kaciukas, of Swords, all sued Hertz for €60,000 a pop.
But they slammed the brakes on their Circuit Civil Court cases after the defendant accused them of being bogus.
Kaciukas and Vaswtis live around the corner from each other in Holywell, Swords — and the controversial ‘accident’ happened at a roundabout beside their estate.
A private investigator told the court he had found out during surveillance the men involved in the set-up accident were acquainted — despite having denied they knew each other.
