Judge Timothy Lucey has warned a Mullingar man who claimed his brother’s social welfare payments while he was in jail that he is “on the brink”.
He made the comment when he heard that Robert Donoghue, formerly of 30 Springfield, Mullingar and now with an address at Dominick Street, had been given the opportunity to show how well he was doing at community service for another offence but this had been “unsatisfactory”.
He had only done 22 out of 100 hours, despite receiving three warning letters.
Mr John Quinn said his client had moved to Longford and was having difficulty getting to appointments. However he is now living in Mullingar again.
The cases before the court related to 22 occasions when he signed for his brother Thomas’s dole at Fagan’s Post Office. Gardaí were notified on October 23 2008 of the possible fraud which was later admitted by Mr Donoghue.
In total he had claimed €4,351.60 and is trying to put together compensation.
A single man, he didn’t think he was committing an offence, the court heard last April. He had used the money to buy clothes and other items for his brother and to lodge cash for him at the institution where he was serving his sentence.
At the recent sitting of Mullingar District Court, Judge Timothy Lucey adjourned the case to September to allow Mr Donoghue show his commitment to his community service.
