Woman in €43k fraud case is spared jail

A 55-year-old woman is to carry out 240 hours of community service in lieu of a two-year prison sentence for stealing thousands of euro from the Department of Social Welfare and from her former employer.

Maureen Sullivan, from Bothar na Scrathóg, Carraroe, was warned last November by Judge Rory McCabe at Galway Circuit Criminal Court that she faced a possible three-year sentence and an additional 18-month sentence if she did not make efforts to repay €21,000 to the Department of Social Protection and a further €22,000 to her former employer at Joyce’s supermarket in Knocknacarra.

Sullivan pleaded guilty before the court last July to ten sample charges relating to two separate offences of theft and fraud.

She pleaded guilty to five sample charges involving the theft of varying amounts of cash from Joyce’s supermarket, Knocknacarra, Galway,on dates between September, 2012 and November, 2013.  The facts were admitted in seven other related charges.

A total of €21,992 was stolen from the store.

She pleaded guilty also to five sample charges of receiving payments by deception from the Department of Social Welfare and Family Protection, on dates between September 2009 and February 2012, at Carraroe Post Office.

The facts were admitted in ten other sample charges.

The total which was fraudulently claimed by her over a two-and-a-half year period came to €21,165.

Sergeant Joe Folan told the sentence hearing last November that Sullivan was in receipt of Unemployment Benefit, from July, 2006 until February 2012, amounting to €57,261. She received those payments at Casla Post Office.

Then, on top of that, between October 2009 and February 2012, she used the name Maureen McDonagh to claim Job Seeker’s Allowance to the amount of €21,165 at Carraroe Post Office.

She admitted using the name McDonagh over the two-and-a-half-year period to make the fraudulent claims.

Prosecuting barrister, Conor Fahy confirmed at the time that no money had been repaid.

Defence barrister, Geri Silke told the court in November that Sullivan was adamant she would repay the money.

Judge McCabe told Sullivan at the time that she was stealing from taxpayers; people who pay their taxes so that other people can get social welfare.

Her employers in Joyce’s had trusted her with the money and she had betrayed that trust, he said.

He warned Sullivan a three-year sentence was the appropriate penalty for the social welfare fraud and 18 months for the theft from Joyce’s.

However, he agreed to adjourn sentence to last February but he warned Sullivan this was a very serious matter and she was at grave risk of going to jail if the money was not repaid.

Ms Silke informed the court in February that her client had not repaid the money and her family were not willing to help her out.

She said her client was in receipt of €140 a week and the only way compensation could be paid was if €20 to €30 was taken from her social welfare every week.

Judge McCabe said there was no possibility of the money ever being repaid and he adjourned finalisation of sentence until last Thursday, directing Sullivan be assessed in the meantime for her suitability to carry out community service in lieu of a prison sentence.

A probation report handed into court on Thursday, confirmed Sullivan was deemed a suitable candidate to carry out community service.

Judge McCabe then imposed the maximum of 240 hours of community service on Sullivan in lieu of a 12-month sentence for the theft of money from the Department of Social Welfare and a concurrent two-year sentence for the theft of money from Joyce’s supermarket.

Ms Silke confirmed to the court that the Department of Social Welfare was now deducting €30 a week from her client’s payment in a bid to claw back some of the money stolen.