Guilty plea to €42k welfare fraud

A man who is accused of fraudulently claiming disability payments totalling €42,000 has pleaded guilty to seven sample charges.

Judge Seán Ó Donnabháin yesterday refused bail to the accused pending sentencing, which was was adjourned until November 16 to allow time for defence barrister Sinéad Behan to gather background reports.

Ms Behan said there had been no difficulty with the accused turning up in court in the past when granted bail. Judge Ó Donnabháin, however, said yesterday he would have to remand the accused in custody.

“The reality is there is going to be a prison sentence in this case,” the judge said.

Ms Behan said the accused had repaid a total of €31,000.

Detective Garda Kevin Heffernan had originally charged Stanislav Szczesny of Park Owen, Quaker Rd, Cork, with 30 counts related to the fraudulent claiming of disability benefit over a three-year period from 2012.

Some 30 sample charges on indictment were reduced to seven on which Szczesny was arraigned yesterday.