False IDs used to claim welfare

A father-of-four who used false IDs to fraudulently claim €478,000 in social welfare payments was yesterday sentenced to five years in prison.

David Church of Parnell St, Dublin and formerly of Monadreen, Thurles, Co Tipperary, faced 199 charges of unlawfully claiming jobseekers’ benefit and rent allowance at various Dublin post offices between 2002 and 2013.

Church, aged 39, pleaded guilty to 13 sample counts at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. The theft averaged about €40,000 a year over the period of offending.