A man who repaid over €8,000 in just seven months after fraudulently collecting someone else’s dole for a year, was still jailed for a month this week (November 2 ) by a judge who said he “wanted to send out a clear message”.
“Crimes against the Department of Social Welfare may have been more acceptable a decade ago but not any more,” said Judge Seamus Hughes.
“He is going to prison because this type of crime is against the community at a time the community is on its knees,” he stated.
The court had earlier heard how Krzysztof Budzik (32 ) with an address at the Jolly Mariner apartments, Athlone, had assumed the name of a friend Tomasz Juka who had left Athlone in April 2010, and signed for his payments until his apprehension on March 3, collecting €8,347 in the process.
Budzik’s solicitor, Mr John Keogh, explained how his client had repaid the entire amount in three lump sums, with the final €1,752.50 paid the day before court, from his own savings.
Mr Keogh also pointed out how Budzik had sent back €100 a week to his alter ego.
“He hasn’t received any money from Mr Juka in Poland, but has still taken it upon himself to discharge the whole debt,” said Mr Keogh.
“He fully accepts he was wrong,” he said, before adding how his client worked three days a week for a logistics firm on the old Galway Road as a sorter, and had been in Ireland since 2007.
Sean Naughton, the Department’s inspector, told the court they had set up CCTV surveillanceas a result of an anonymous tip and had built the case from there. He went on to explain that on the back of this case a pilot, biometric Social Welfare card had been launched in three offices across the country to counter such fraud.
Judge Hughes asked how much per annum Mr Naughton estimated this had cost the State.
“I would expect it runs to millions each year...but it would be unfair to indicate it’s 100 per cent foreign national,” he said.
“Your client basically stole €8,000 he wasn’t entitled to, at a time taxpayers are on their knees in this country,” said the judge.
“The anonymous tipper is to be congratulated,” he continued, before jailing Budzik for three months, suspending two of them for three years, and fining him an additional €1,000.
Because of the flight risk, he set reccognisance (the sum to appeal ) at a further €1,000, with an additional bail of €5,000 independent surety required.
