Pensioner used useless brother’s identification to say €93,000 in bogus advantages

A person has admitted used his useless brother’s identification to say greater than €93,000 in advantages.

Pensioner Aidan Byrne, 75, appeared earlier than Donegal Circuit Courtroom, charged with a variety of fraud-related offences.

Byrne’s brother Anthony died tragically in a drowning accident in England in 1972.

The accused, a local of Wexford, had lived in England for various years however returned to Eire in 2000 and later started to make use of his useless brother’s identification to say varied advantages.

The courtroom was advised that between June, 2015 and August, 2021 he claimed a complete of €83,157 in pension and gas allowances on behalf of his useless brother.

He additionally utilized for a medical card from the HSE in his brother’s title and claimed €10,858 for varied completely different therapies together with optical and physician’s visits between June, 2012 and December, 2021.

Byrne had been enabled after making use of for a passport in his useless brother’s title utilizing his brother’s beginning certificates however his personal image on the passport.

Byrne’s bogus claims solely got here to gentle when he made one other passport software beneath his personal title in 2019.

Eagle-eyed passport workplace employees utilizing facial imaging seen each footage beneath two completely different passport names have been an identical and the knowledge was handed on to the Division of Social Safety.

The data was in flip handed onto Gardai who launched an investigation.

Byrne pleaded responsible to a variety of expenses together with theft from each the Division of Social Safety and the HSE, forgery and utilizing a false instrument.

Barrister for the State, Mr David Keane, mentioned there was various different expenses which could possibly be considered by the courtroom.

Detective Garda Paul Lynch outlined the background to the case and the way Byrne had emigrated to England within the Sixties alongside together with his brother however that he had drowned in an accident in Epping in 1972.

He advised how Byrne used his useless brother’s beginning cert to get a passport beneath his brother’s title however utilizing his personal image.

He utilized to get the State pension beneath the title Anthony Byrne between June 2015 and August, 2021 throughout which period each pension and gas allowance funds totalling €83,157.29 have been all lodged by way of digital fund switch to Byrne’s account at Ulster Financial institution.

Detective Lynch additionally advised that Byrne additionally used the false identification to acquire a medical card by way of the HSE and claimed €10858 in varied therapies together with physician’s visits and optical therapies.

When Gardai known as to his house at  26 Ard McGill, Glenties on August sixteenth, 2021, they discovered €2,840 in money on the home and later discovered Byrne had €16,238 in a checking account which has since been frozen.

Gardai additionally discovered a medical card and a loss of life certificates within the title of his brother Antony Joseph Byrne exhibiting he had died on September twenty eighth, 1972 in a drowning accident.

Byrne was arrested and on  December sixth, 2022 he pleaded responsible to various associated expenses.

Barrister for the accused, Mr Colm Smith, SC, mentioned his shopper had by no means been in bother earlier than and this was an enormous “fall from grace” for him.

His household together with his three daughters now not spoke to him due to his actions.

He added that Byrne had suffered from various medical complaints together with diabetes, had additionally suffered a stroke and was on a variety of remedy day by day.

The accused took to the stand and mentioned he was very sorry and that this was “a really dangerous concept.”

The courtroom heard the accused now lived in a council home in Glenties and was a person of no means and that monies in his checking account, some €16,000, had been frozen by the courts.

Pleading to the courtroom {that a} custodial sentence and jail can be a “very tough place” for a person of such years, barrister Colm Smyth mentioned his shopper had by no means handled the legislation earlier than both in Eire or England.

He had that together with his shopper paying again €50 per week to the state,  it’s going to absorb extra of 30 years to pay again that cash and  the fact is that the majority of the cash won’t ever be paid again.

He added that his shopper did plead responsible on the first alternative and he had been deemed as being of a low danger of reoffending.

“Jail can be a hardship for him and I ask you to be as lenient as you’ll be able to,” requested Mr Smyth.

Choose John Aylmer mentioned he wanted time to contemplate the sentence and put the case again till Could 2nd for finalisation.

Pensioner used useless brother’s identification to say €93,000 in bogus advantages was final modified: March twenty fourth, 2023 by Workers Author