Thomas Colton, 50, who claims to be a medium who can communicate with the dead, earned his nickname after he was convicted in 2015 for stealing €320,000 from an elderly couple while working as an accountant for them. Pic: Pic: INPHO/Laszlo Geczo
Last Updated on 10 July 2026 by Watchdog Witness
Introduction – A Web of Deceit
He claimed to communicate with the dead. But Thomas Colton couldn’t see the living who were watching him.
A former rugby player, accountant, and self-styled “spiritual medium,” Colton had already served time for stealing €322,000. He had been convicted of acting as an auditor while disqualified. He had been banned from running a company.
None of that stopped him.
He set up a spiritual wedding and funeral business under a different name. He ran it for years while disqualified. He used his Irish name to hide from the media. And when the debts caught up with him, he tried to write off €4.3 million—while secretly owning a villa in Lanzarote.
The High Court called his conduct “most unlikely” to deserve a second chance.
Then, in a series of corporate manoeuvres, his wife took over the business—just days before he faced court again.
But the business didn’t stop. It continued to trade—under a different name.
This is the story of Thomas and Linda Colton—the “psychic swindler” and his wife—and the corporate shell they built to protect themselves while continuing to operate in plain sight.
🔗 Sources:
- Irish Times – High Court revokes debt write-off
- Irish Independent – Psychic swindler and wife have debts terminated
- Companies House – Grá agus Solas Ltd
Who Are Thomas and Linda Colton?
Thomas Colton, 50, of The Park, St Wolstan’s Abbey, Celbridge, Co Kildare, is a man with a long and troubling history.
His Career:
- Former rugby player
- Accountant by profession
- Self-described “spiritual medium” and registered wedding solemniser
His Wife:
- Linda Colton (née Barden), 50
- Former banker
- Co-director of Grá agus Solas ULC
The couple met in the late 1990s. They were put off buying a home in Ireland due to rising prices and instead looked to buy a foreign property as an investment. That decision would later come back to haunt them.
Part 1: The Theft Conviction (2014–2015) – Betraying the Elderly
Long before he was a “spiritual medium” or a disqualified director, Thomas Colton was a trusted accountant. He used that position to prey on an elderly couple, Hugh and Mary McNally.
In July 2005, Colton stole €322,070 from the McNallys . The details of the crime were not made public, but the case was described as “somewhat complicated,” involving a bank and the Revenue Commissioners . Colton was charged with a single count of theft .
For nearly a decade, Colton fought the charge. The case was delayed while the State prepared a Book of Evidence, with Colton’s lawyer noting he was “very anxious to progress the matter” . However, it wasn’t until 2015 that Colton finally pleaded guilty and was sentenced to four years in prison, with 18 months suspended, for the theft .
The conviction earned him the nickname he carries to this day: the “psychic swindler” .
- The Victim Impact: The crime was not a faceless corporate fraud. It was a direct betrayal of an elderly couple who had trusted Colton to manage their finances. They were the reason the State pursued the case for so long.
- The Consequence: The conviction triggered an automatic five-year disqualification from acting as a company director, effective from 5 December 2014 . This is the disqualification he would later ignore when setting up his spiritual wedding business.
The 2014 theft conviction is the foundation of Colton’s entire pattern of deceit: a man who used a position of trust to steal from the vulnerable, and who has spent the years since trying to hide from the consequences.
Sources Used for This Section
| Source | Description |
|---|---|
| Irish Independent – ‘Psychic swindler’ who stole €320,000 from elderly couple gets €2.7m debt deal | Confirms the amount, conviction, and nickname. |
| Irish Independent – Medium faces trial over alleged theft of €322k (2014) | Details the charges, the victims (Hugh and Mary McNally), and the 2005 offence. |
| EVOKE – ‘Psychic Swindler’ And His Wife Lose Multi Million Debt Write Off Deal (2022) | Confirms he was convicted for stealing from an elderly couple while acting as an accountant. |
| Irish Mirror – Ex-rugby player avoids jail but given 10-year company ban (2025) | Confirms the 4-year sentence with 18 months suspended. |
| The Currency – Personal insolvency deal terminated (2022) | Confirms he was jailed for stealing from an elderly couple while working as their accountant. |
Part 2: The 2015 Conviction – Acting as Auditor While Disqualified
Even before the 2025 case, Colton had already been caught once for flouting company law.
In 2015, the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement prosecuted him for:
- Acting as an auditor while disqualified
- Producing false audit reports
- Acting as a statutory auditor without approval
Colton pleaded guilty and received a six-month prison sentence, suspended for twelve months.
The 2015 conviction proves Colton knew the rules—and ignored them anyway.
🔗 Source: ODCE – Director of Corporate Enforcement v Thomas Colton (2015)
Part 3: The Secret Villa – The High Court Ruling (2022)
The most dramatic chapter of the Colton saga began in 2022—when the High Court revoked their debt write-off after an investigation by the Irish Independent’s Legal Editor, Shane Phelan.
The Debt Write-Off
In February 2022, the High Court approved personal insolvency arrangements (PIAs) for Thomas and Linda Colton:
| Debtor | Original Debt | Written Off |
|---|---|---|
| Thomas Colton | €4.3 million | €2.7 million |
| Linda Colton | €2 million | €2 million |
In exchange for the write-offs, the Coltons were to pay unsecured creditors just €10,200.
They were allowed to keep their €640,000 family home.
The Hidden Villa
The deal was approved. But there was a problem.
The Coltons had not disclosed that they owned a villa in Lanzarote, Spain.
Using the Irish versions of their names, they had registered with Spanish land title authorities as owners of the property. They had borrowed €178,500 from a Spanish bank to renovate it.
The villa was said to be worth €400,000.
The couple claimed the villa was bought in trust for their wedding company as an investment of wedding deposits—and was not treated as company income for accounting purposes.
The judge wasn’t having it.
The High Court’s Verdict
Mr Justice Alexander Owens said the Coltons’ financial affairs were “one and the same thing” as those of their company. They were obliged to make full disclosure.
“It is ‘most unlikely’ that the court would have confirmed the PIAs if the information now available had been revealed at the time.”
“The non-disclosures are ‘so significant’ it is impossible to conclude they deserve a second chance.”
The judge described a “spending spree” on the Spanish property that was taking place while the couple’s insolvency practitioner was formulating the debt plan.
He concluded:
“The PIA system is conditioned on debtor honesty and full disclosure. Meaningful judicial oversight is ‘set at nought’ if courts do not uphold these standards.”
The PIAs were terminated.
🔗 Source: Irish Times – High Court revokes debt write-off
Part 4: The 2025 Case – Acting as Director While Disqualified
The Business: Grá agus Solas
In 2016, Colton registered a new company: Grá agus Solas ULC.
The company provided celebrant services for weddings, funerals, and baby naming ceremonies. It subcontracted to celebrants, with up to 60 celebrants on its books.
The name—which translates from Irish as “Love and Light”—was fitting for a man who styled himself as a spiritual medium and wedding solemniser.
But there was a problem.
Colton was still disqualified from acting as a director.
The Deception: Using an Irish Name
Colton filed the company registration papers with the Companies Registration Office using his Irish name: Tomás Mac Cultan.
When gardaí questioned him, he claimed he used the Irish name to “avoid media attention” following his theft conviction.
He also claimed that he “only later learned” he had been disqualified.
But the court heard that Colton had been convicted of company law offences in 2015—proving he was well aware of his disqualification.
The Sentence
On 7 April 2025, Colton was sentenced to:
- 10-year disqualification from acting as a company director
- 9-month prison sentence, fully suspended
Judge Sinéad McMullan noted this was “the first prosecution of its kind” for contravening an automatic disqualification.
She described his consent to a longer disqualification than would be imposed as evidence of remorse.
🔗 Sources:
Part 5: The Corporate Shell – How the Coltons Structured Their Business
Companies House documents reveal the full extent of the Coltons’ corporate manoeuvring.
The Unlimited Company (2023)
On 15 May 2023, Thomas Colton incorporated Grá agus Solas Unlimited in England and Wales.
- Registered Office: Unit 3, The Courtyard, Kilcarbery Park, Nangor Road, Dublin 22, Ireland
- Share Capital: £100 divided into 100 shares of £1 each
- Initial Director: Tomás O’Comhailtain (Thomas Colton’s Irish name)
- Person with Significant Control (PSC): Tomás O’Comhailtain (75%+ shares, voting rights, right to appoint/remove directors)
Key Finding: Thomas Colton incorporated a company using his Irish name Tomás O’Comhailtain—the same name he used to avoid media attention following his 2014 theft conviction.
The Change in Control (July 2024)
On 1 July 2024, the PSC was updated to show Tomás O’Comhailtain holding more than 50% but less than 75% of the shares.
This may have been an attempt to dilute his control—possibly to distance himself from the company following the High Court’s revocation of the debt write-off.
The Handover: Linda Takes Over (March 2025)
On 31 March 2025—just one week before Thomas Colton’s court hearing—Linda Colton was appointed as director of the company.
Thomas Colton (under his Irish name Tomás O’Comhailtain) resigned on the same day.
- Linda’s Date of Birth: * */05/1976 (born May 1976, now 50)
- Linda’s Nationality: Irish
- Linda’s Occupation: Director
Key Finding: Linda Colton was appointed as director on 31 March 2025—just one week before Thomas Colton’s 7 April 2025 court hearing. This was a deliberate handover: Thomas stepped down, Linda stepped in, ensuring the business continued under his wife’s control.
The Re-Registration: From Unlimited to Limited (April 2025)
On 17 April 2025—ten days after Colton’s court hearing—the company was re-registered from Grá agus Solas Unlimited to Grá agus Solas Ltd.
- Registered Office: Unit 3, Office A, 1st Floor, 6-7 St. Mary At Hill, London, EC3R 8EE, England
- Type: Private company limited by shares (limiting personal liability)
Key Finding: The re-registration to a limited company occurred 10 days after Colton’s sentencing. This is a classic liability-shielding manoeuvre: by converting to a limited company, personal assets are protected from business debts.
The Financials: A Shell Company
The unaudited accounts for the year ending 30 April 2025 reveal:
- Fixed Assets: £110,004
- Net Current Liabilities: Negative (exceeds assets)
- Net Liabilities: The company is technically insolvent
- Employees: 0
Key Finding: The company has no employees and appears to be a shell or holding company. The accounts were approved by Linda Colton as director on 28 January 2026.
The PSC Change Back (December 2025)
On 22 December 2025, the PSC was changed again: Tomás O’Comhailtain once again held 75% or more of the shares and voting rights, and the right to appoint or remove directors.
Key Finding: Within eight months of his wife taking over, Thomas Colton (under his Irish name) had reasserted full control of the company.
Part 6: The England Loophole – A Deliberate Jurisdiction Strategy
Thomas Colton did not register his company in Ireland. He registered it in England and Wales.
By incorporating in England—rather than Ireland—Colton placed his company under a legal system that would not automatically recognise his Irish disqualification.
When he re-registered the company as Grá agus Solas Ltd on 17 April 2025, the registered office was moved to London, England.
Why?
Because his Irish director disqualification does not automatically apply in the UK.
By registering the company in England, Colton could argue that he was not acting as a director “in Ireland” and that the UK authorities had not yet recognised his disqualification.
This is a deliberate strategy to circumvent Irish court orders—and it raises serious questions about the enforcement of director disqualifications across borders.
| Irish Ruling | UK Registration | The Loophole |
|---|---|---|
| Colton disqualified for 10 years in Ireland (April 2025) | Company registered in England (May 2023) | UK authorities may not automatically enforce Irish disqualification orders |
| Irish court barred him from acting as a director | Company re-registered as Ltd in England (April 2025) | He could argue he was “not acting as a director” in Ireland |
| Automatic disqualification triggered by theft conviction | He used his Irish name to register the company | He deliberately concealed his identity |
The bottom line: Colton structured his business in England to keep trading while his Irish disqualification was in place. This is a classic “jurisdiction shopping” strategy.
Part 7: The Public Face – Spiritual Ceremonies and the Facebook Presence
Despite the court rulings, the disqualification, and the corporate restructuring, the business continues to trade publicly—under a different name.
Spiritual Ceremonies is the public-facing brand of Grá agus Solas Ltd. The website’s Terms and Conditions confirm this directly:
“We are: Grá agus Solas Ltd, trading as Spiritual Ceremonies.”
The business offers wedding ceremonies, vow renewals, baby naming, and funeral services. It claims to have been operating since 2010, with a team of “Registered Solemnisers” covering all 32 counties.
The website features testimonials, pricing, and contact information—all while the company’s corporate structure is technically insolvent and its founder is disqualified from acting as a director.
The business also maintains an active social media presence. A Facebook group called “Wedding Help NI” has over 31,000 members. The group is managed by Angela Campbell, who appears to be an associate or employee of the business.
The group’s description promotes wedding planning services, and the admins include the business page “Wedding Help” —which is linked to the same operation.
The question is simple: If the company is insolvent and the founder is disqualified, why is the business still trading?
🔗 Sources:
Why This Case Matters for Watchdog Witness Readers
Thomas and Linda Colton’s case is a masterclass in corporate and personal deception:
1. A Pattern of Misconduct
Colton was convicted in 2014 for theft, disqualified in 2015 for acting as an auditor while disqualified, and convicted again in 2025 for acting as a director while disqualified. This is a pattern of behaviour, not a one-off mistake.
2. The “Name Change” Strategy
Colton used his Irish name to avoid detection. This tactic—using a different name to circumvent a legal restriction—is a clear attempt to deceive the authorities.
3. The Hidden Asset
The Coltons tried to write off millions in debt while secretly owning a €400,000 villa in Lanzarote. The High Court called their non-disclosure “so significant” that it revoked the debt deal.
4. The Corporate Shell
Companies House documents reveal a deliberate restructuring: Thomas stepped down as director just before his court hearing, his wife took over, and the company was re-registered as a limited company to limit personal liability. Within months, Thomas had reasserted control.
5. The England Loophole
By registering his company in England, Colton was able to continue trading while his Irish disqualification was in place. This raises serious questions about the enforcement of director disqualifications across borders.
6. The Ongoing Operation
Despite the disqualification and the insolvency, the business continues to trade as Spiritual Ceremonies, with a website, a Facebook group, and a team of celebrants. The public face of the business tells a very different story from the corporate shell behind it.
7. The Role of Investigative Journalism
The Irish Independent’s investigation uncovered the secret villa. Without that reporting, the Coltons might have succeeded in writing off their debts while hiding their assets.
The question for Watchdog Witness readers: Eagle eyes are watching. Thomas and Linda Colton may have thought they could hide their past—but the courts, the journalists, and the public are paying attention.
Timeline of Events
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 1999 | Thomas Colton and Linda Barden attend property expo; begin investing |
| 2014 | Colton convicted of theft of €322,000; automatic 5-year disqualification triggered |
| 2015 | Colton convicted of acting as auditor while disqualified |
| 2016 | Colton registers Grá agus Solas ULC using Irish name Tomás Mac Cultan |
| February 2022 | High Court approves debt write-offs for Coltons |
| July 2022 | High Court revokes PIAs after secret villa revealed |
| 15 May 2023 | Grá agus Solas Unlimited incorporated in England/Wales |
| 1 July 2024 | PSC change: Tomás O’Comhailtain holds 50-75% |
| 31 March 2025 | Linda Colton appointed director; Thomas resigns |
| 7 April 2025 | Colton sentenced: 10-year disqualification; 9-month suspended sentence |
| 17 April 2025 | Company re-registered as Grá agus Solas Ltd (limited company) |
| 28 January 2026 | Linda Colton approves unaudited accounts |
| 22 December 2025 | PSC change: Tomás O’Comhailtain holds 75%+ again |
Sources – Click to Verify
| Source | Description | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Irish Times | High Court revokes debt write-off over Lanzarote villa (July 2022) | View |
| Irish Independent | ‘Psychic swindler’ and wife have debts deals terminated (July 2022) | View |
| Irish Mirror | ‘Psychic swindler’ avoids jail but given 10-year company ban (April 2025) | View |
| Dublin People | Spiritual medium given suspended sentence (April 2025) | View |
| Kildare Nationalist | Kildare spiritual medium receives suspended sentence (April 2025) | View |
| ODCE (2015) | Previous company law conviction | View |
| Companies House | Grá agus Solas Ltd public record | View |
| Spiritual Ceremonies | Public-facing website | View |
| Terms and Conditions | Confirms Grá agus Solas Ltd as the legal entity | View |
| Facebook Group | Wedding Help NI (31.7K members) | View |
Disclaimer
Disclaimer: This article is based on publicly available court records, Companies House documents, and news reporting. Thomas and Linda Colton have had their debt write-offs revoked by the High Court. Thomas Colton has been convicted of the offences described. Companies House documents are public records. The Spiritual Ceremonies website and Facebook group are public-facing business pages. This article does not constitute legal advice and is provided for informational and journalistic purposes only. Watchdog Witness does not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of third-party sources cited. This article may be updated as further information becomes available..
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