Courts / Dublin / Report
Dubliner used friend's identity to steal over €100k in social welfare benefits
Summary
A Dubliner, Noel Ward, 59, used the PPS number of a friend who had moved to Thailand to fraudulently claim €109,235 in social welfare benefits over a decade. Ward, who was homeless when the scheme began, claimed benefits such as Jobseekers' Benefit, Disability Benefit, Jobseekers' Allowance, Basic Supplementary Welfare Allowance and Rent Allowance, and transferred about €64,000 into his friend Patrick Rooney's AIB account. He pleaded guilty to two counts of using a false instrument, including a false driving licence, and six counts of theft from the State between May 2008 and August 2019. Ward has been repaying the State since 2017, including a €20,000 lump sum, and is expected to clear the remaining €15,000 debt within four years. The case was heard in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, with the hearing adjourned for finalisation on November 20.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Dubliner used friend's identity to steal over €100k in social welfare benefits. Charges or matters: two charges of using a false instrument, including a driving licence, and six counts of theft from the State, on dates between May 2008 and August 2019. Procedural stage: hearing_or_decision
When:
- May 2008 Other
- August 2019 Hearing Or Sentence
- July 2012 Other
- August 2018 Other
- March 2017 Hearing Or Sentence
- July 2018 Incident
- November 20 Adjournment
- 2024-11-13 Publication
Why: Counsel said Ward has taken out a loan of €15,000 while his partner has taken out a loan of €5,000 in order to repay the State. CNI source report
Case subjects
Applicant
Charges: two charges of using a false instrument, including a driving licence, and six counts of theft from the State, on dates between May 2008 and August 2019 (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: Judge Orla Crowe adjourned the case for finalisation next week on November 20.
Places mentioned
Topics
Stage Hearing Or Decision Theft
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