Woman wanted in UK over £250k fraud claims

The High Court has dismissed a bail application brought on behalf of a wheelchair-bound woman wanted in the UK on fraud charges.

British authorities are seeking the extradition of Yvonne Doyle, who has been remanded in custody at the Dóchas woman’s prison since January following her arrest in Ireland on foot of a European arrest warrant.

Ms Doyle, who denies the charges against her, is accused by the British authorities of fraudulently obtaining a number of payments totalling approximately £250,000 (€315,000) from the UK government.

It is alleged that she used false documentation, including IDs, to obtain the monies. Prior to her arrest by the gardaí she had been residing in the village of Blackwater in Co Wexford.

The State opposed Ms Doyle’s application for bail on the grounds including that she represented a flight risk.

Mr Justice John Edwards dismissed her application for bail. He said he was refusing bail because both the State’s and the court’s concerns about Ms Doyle not turning up to court had not been met.

He said he had to take account of the fact that the court had been shown several documents, including IDs that contained Ms Doyle’s picture but were in a number of different names.

While explanations had offered by Ms Doyle why some of the documents contained different names, others remained unexplained, the judge said.

He said she Ms Doyle had handed over her UK passport to British police. However an application was subsequently made for an Irish passport, where her picture had been submitted, but under another name.

He said he fully accepted that Ms Doyle had a presumption of innocence, and that she had struggled in prison as a result of being wheelchair bound.

He said he also accepted the bona fides of Joan Nolan, a neighbour of Ms Doyle who told the court she was prepared to go surety for €10,000.

She told the court she trusted Ms Doyle and expected her to appear on the date of her hearing, even though she had met her only six months before Ms Doyle went into custody.

However, the judge’s primary concern was that “this lady could get on a boat or a plane and leave the country”, and was unable to grant her bail.

He said everything should be done to expedite the hearing of the UK’s extradition request.

Seeking bail, Hugh Hartnett SC, counsel for Ms Doyle, said his client would accept any stringent conditions the court imposed if it were minded to grant bail.

Counsel said that the differences in the names on IDs and the documents were because Ms Doyle had changed her name by deed poll, and in other instances had used her married names.

Counsel added that a letter Ms Doyle sent to the judge in England suggested her personality was quirky rather than cunning.

However, lawyers for the State said it could not see any conditions that would allay its fears that Ms Doyle represented a flight risk.

The case is due to come before the court again in October when the new legal term commences.