Courts / Dublin / Report

Grandmother forged unemployment forms in benefit fraud, court hears

Summary

Patricia Sweeney, 60, a primary school cleaner, forged declaration of unemployment forms and used the school stamp to claim €31,700.70 in job seekers allowance she was not entitled to. She worked 12 hours a week on a casual basis, but the school's board had required her to work five days a week, making her ineligible for the allowance. Sweeney claimed she worked the hours over three days and provided forged forms to the Department of Social Protection. She pleaded guilty to 21 counts of theft and forgery covering February 2011 to February 2015. She has no prior convictions, has paid €1,649 back, and is currently on job seekers allowance with weekly deductions of €27.90 until the debt is cleared. The case was adjourned to 22 March, with a probation report to assess suitability for community service.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Grandmother forged unemployment forms in benefit fraud, court hears. Charges or matters: 21 sample counts of theft and forgery on dates between February 2011 and February 2015. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

• February 2011 Other
• February 2015 Other
• March 22 Adjournment
• 2017-01-31 Publication

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Fraud Stage Sentence Theft

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Read the original CNI report