WELL-KNOWN disc jockey Tony Fenton was declared a bankrupt at the High Court yesterday following a petition taken against him by the Revenue Commissioners.
The Today FM presenter, whose real name is Anthony Fagan, owed a debt of almost €900,000 for unpaid tax liabilities, including interest and penalties, the High Court heard.
During the brief hearing at the Four Courts yesterday morning, Gary Compton, instructed by Matheson Ormsby Prentice on behalf of the Revenue Commissioners, told the court that three judgments were secured last year against Mr Fenton for the taxes he owed.
These had not been paid and the Revenue had petitioned the court to make Mr Fenton bankrupt when he failed to clear the debts.
The judgments came to just over €770,000, but with accumulated interest the sum owed yesterday was €879,695.
The Revenue also registered a judgment mortgage against Mr Fenton’s south Dublin home at Merrion Woods, Stillorgan Road, Blackrock, which is also the subject of a bank mortgage.
Legal documents stated Mr Fenton was working at the Today FM offices, at Digges Lane, Dublin, when he was served with the petition by the Revenue Commissioners on October 28th last.
Representing Mr Fenton, solicitor St John Dundon, of Dundon Callanan Solicitors, told Ms Justice Elizabeth Dunne his client would not be contesting the petition.
Ms Justice Dunne then formally declared Mr Fenton a bankrupt.
Although he was not present in court, he was required to attend at the Office of the Official Assignee in Smithfield yesterday to sign legal documents.
All of his property and assets will now come under the control of the official assignee, Chris Lehane, who administers the estate of bankrupts.
A notice of his bankruptcy will also appear in newspapers in the coming weeks to give any other creditors an opportunity to make a claim against his estate.
Following a statutory sitting, the official assignee may sell any property belonging to Mr Fenton and distribute the proceeds among his creditors.
He was not available for comment last night, but speaking at the weekend, he said he had lost everything financially and would probably lose his home.
He had invested heavily in property during the boom to make provision for a pension and lost all of his money during the property crash. He described the court proceedings as “a huge relief” and said a weight would be lifted off his shoulders.
The DJ has worked for Today FM since 2004 and hosts a weekday programme, The Afternoon Show, from 2.30pm to 4.30pm. He was named PPI Music Broadcaster of the Year in 2008.
Mr Fenton had previously worked for RTÉ radio’s 2FM as well as for various pirate radio stations including Sunshine Radio and Radio Nova.
