Mother of six jailed for three years for €229,000 social-welfare fraud
A Dublin mother of six has been given the maximum three-year jail sentence for fraudently claiming €229,000 in social welfare payments.
Mary Connors from Cloonmore Park, Tallaght pleaded guilty to nine sample charges of failing to notify the revenue of an increase in her means between 1996 and 2010.
Mary Connors cried: 'Oh my God please' as she received the maximum available sentence of three years in jail.
For 14 years, the 36-year-old mother of six claimed more than €500 a week in jobseeker's allowance on behalf of her and her husband Gerry.
Meanwhile, she failed to disclose several bank accounts in which lodgements of nearly €1.25m were made from 1992 until 2010 when the accounts were frozen.
In total, she fraudently claimed €229,000 in welfare payments. She has since paid it all back.
Judge Martin Nolan said while he "took no pleasure in it", he felt he had to impose a custodial sentence in order to send a message to people not to defraud welfare.
