Woman who stole dead sister’s identity spared jail
Bridget Margaret Redmond, aged 50, who lives in England, claimed the handouts after hijacking the identity of her sister, Theresa Jackson, who died 35 years ago.
Theresa was just nine when she was struck by a car in Kilbarrin Road, Coolock, in July 1971. The family then lived in nearby Castlekevin Road.
Redmond had admitted claiming benefits in her dead sister’s name for almost four years from 2002.
Britain’s Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), which brought the prosecution, said the deception started when Redmond obtained the birth certificate of her dead sister from a registrar in Ireland.
Redmond then used the certificate to obtain a British National Insurance number, similar to a PPS number, so she could apply for British unemployment and housing benefits in Theresa’s name.
Redmond, who had been legitimately receiving unemployment and housing benefits herself at the time, obtained an extra £11,370 (€16,545) by hijacking the identity of her sister.
Yesterday at Birmingham Crown Court, Redmond, of Roughlea Avenue, Bromford, Birmingham, was sentenced to do 100 hours of unpaid community work and given a 12-month rehabilitation order, which is similar to probation.
Sentencing Redmond, Recorder Ian Dove QC also directed her to attend a skills course on a women’s programme as part of her probation order.
The DWP said she will also have to pay back all the money she had wrongly claimed.
Speaking after the court case, Britain’s anti-benefit fraud minister James Plaskett said: “This was a cynical and calculated crime which used the death of a young girl to steal money intended for the most vulnerable in society. Benefit fraud is theft and I am committed to cracking down and pursuing offenders.”
Redmond admitted two offences under the Theft Act and three under the Forgery and Counterfeiting Act. Under English law, Redmond could have been jailed for up to 10 years for the offences.
Family members were in the public gallery at yesterday’s court hearing to support Redmond, who has a grown-up family and has recently re-married.
In April last year an anonymous tip-off triggered an investigation by fraud specialists from the DWP’s serious and organised operations branch.
The woman was arrested last November and made a full confession to the investigators.
The DWP said that Redmond had also opened a bank account and obtained credit cards in the name of her dead sister.
