A Ballyhaunis man who pleaded guilty in May to his part in a social welfare deception in 2011 had his sentencing adjourned at Ballyhaunis District Court this week until November 6 so that a community service assessment could be carried out on him.
In May, Barry McCrudden with an address at 29 Esker Pines, Ballyhaunis, had pleaded guilty to three different counts of theft by deception, by having another man collect his social welfare payment for him on three occasions. At the May sitting Judge Mary Devins ordered him to pay €200 to Western Care and said she would deal with him under the Probation Act. However McCrudden failed to appear in court in June and when Judge Devins asked him this week where he was in June, McCrudden told the court that he was sorry for not being there but he was sick. Judge Devins told McCrudden that she was going to have to impose a conviction on him, for one of the counts of theft by deception she convicted him and fined him €200 but adjourned sentencing him to three months in prison until November 6, so that a community service assessment could be carried out on him for 100 hours community service in lieu of the prison sentence.
