Courts / Dublin / Report
74-year-old mother of 14 jailed for litany of false insurance claims
Summary
Winnifred Lawrence, a 74‑year‑old mother of 14, was sentenced to three and a half years in prison, with the final 18 months suspended, after pleading guilty to three counts of deception for making false personal injury claims between September 2012 and May 2014. She used the false name Margaret Mongan to file six claims, receiving a net total of €23,185.50 from insurance companies. The court noted her previous conviction in 2019, where she received a three‑year suspended sentence for a similar offence. Lawrence's claims included incidents at Tesco Ireland, a bookshop, a bus, and a heater, with payouts ranging from €5,000 to €12,460. The judge highlighted her poor health and the significant amount of money she benefited from, and the sentence was imposed after her guilty plea and lack of further offences.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: 74-year-old mother of 14 jailed for litany of false insurance claims. Charges or matters: three counts of making a gain for herself or causing a loss to another by deception on dates between September 2012 and May 2014. Procedural stage: sentence
When:
- September 2012 Incident
- May 2014 Incident
- December 7, 2017 Hearing Or Sentence
- August 5, 2013 Hearing Or Sentence
- February 2018 Hearing Or Sentence
- 2024-05-16 Publication
Case subjects
Applicant
Charges: three counts of making a gain for herself or causing a loss to another by deception on dates between September 2012 and May 2014 (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Convicted Person
Charges: three counts of making a gain for herself or causing a loss to another by deception on dates between September 2012 and May 2014 (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: She imposed a sentence of three and a half years with the final 18 months suspended to mark Lawrence's ill health. He asked Judge Codd to take into account the guilty plea and that there has been no further offending since Lawrence received a suspended sentence in 2019.
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