Owen McKeever ordered community service for benefit fraud

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

Judge Karen O'Connor ordered Owen McKeever to complete 200 hours of community service at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on 18 December 2018. The proceedings were reported on 18 December 2018.

McKeever pleaded guilty to fraudulently claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance in the name of his brother, Brendan McKeever, on dates between 2009 and 2013. He had been sent forward from the District Court on signed guilty pleas to 50 sample counts of social welfare fraud.

The community service was to be completed over 12 months beginning on 18 December 2018, instead of a sentence of two years and three months’ imprisonment. The total loss to the Exchequer was €41,871.

Garda Ian Abbey said facial-imaging technology led to a match between a genuine photograph of McKeever and another photograph of McKeever purporting to be his brother. Abbey said McKeever immediately made full admissions when interviewed.