Courts / Meath / Report

No jail for 'honourable man' who stole more than €25k in social welfare payments

Summary

Thomasz Pysz, 46, of Clonee, Dublin, was found guilty of four counts of theft from the Department of Social Welfare between 2019 and 2021. He used the PPS number of a relative who had left Ireland in 2016 to claim benefits while working under a different PPS number. Pysz received €9,235.50 in Disability Allowance and €16,303 in Pandemic Unemployment Payments through this scheme. Garda Stephen Byrne reported that the relative's bank account was used for wages and that the relative was not charged with any offence. Pysz repaid part of the money and has an outstanding debt of €21,814. He pleaded guilty, citing mental health issues and marital breakdown. Judge Martin Nolan imposed a 20‑month suspended sentence, requiring the freezing and transfer of €10,917 from Pysz's account to the Department of Social Welfare and noting a separate payment agreement with the Department.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: No jail for 'honourable man' who stole more than €25k in social welfare payments. Charges or matters: four sample counts of theft from the Department between 2019 and 2021. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

• September 2021 Hearing Or Sentence
• 2019 and 2021 Other
• 2025-04-07 Publication

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Stage Sentence Theft

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Read the original CNI report