Man claimed benefit while living in Malaysia

A Dublin man who fraudulently lived off Irish disability benefits for almost two years while in Malaysia, where he quit drugs and started a family, has been given suspended jail terms totalling 12 months.

Raymond Pullen, aged 31, from Pine Rd, Ringsend, had pleaded guilty at Dublin District Court to 21 sample charges of theft totalling €16,821 from the Department of Social Protection over 91 weeks, from Sept 2010 until Jun 2012.

Judge William Early was furnished with a probation report yesterday, showing that Pullen had managed to stay off drugs. He noted that it was his first offence and a guilty plea had been entered at an early stage.