Dead infant’s identity used in social welfare scam

The identity of an infant who had died within minutes of birth was used in a social welfare scam in Co Meath, a court has heard.

Patrick Collins, aged 28, a married father-of-three from Cherry Orchard Parade, Ballyfermot, Dublin, pleaded guilty to eight charges of using a false identity to obtain €8,816 from the Social Welfare Office in Kells, Co Meath, between Aug 2010 and Jan 2012.

Trim Circuit Court heard Collins pretended to be a Derek McDonagh when collecting the payments.