Samba Sow given suspended sentence for welfare theft

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

Samba Sow received a suspended two-year sentence at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for 18 counts of stealing social welfare payments. The proceedings were reported on 15 December 2016.

Sow pleaded guilty to taking €50,006 under the name Moussa Sow between April 2011 and December 2014. Judge Catherine Murphy noted that he did not seek double payments, while Garda Nigel Daly agreed he had never tried to access payments under two names. The defence said Sow contacted the Department of Social Protection in October 2015 and arranged repayments of €20 weekly; €1,000 had been repaid. The judge also noted a very positive probation report, which found no need for further supervision.