Man who fraudulently claimed welfare caught with facial recognition software

A Dublin father-of-three who fraudulently claimed €25,000 in social welfare has been jailed for 18 months.

Bernard Flynn (aged 63) of Cannon Burke Flats, Cabra, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to 11 charges of stealing from the Department of Social Protection at River Valley Post Office in Swords between August 2011 and April 2014.

He went to the post office 123 times to claim jobseekers and rent allowance under the name of Brendan Flynn.

Flynn, who had been legitimately collecting the dole at his local post office in his own name, was caught with facial recognition software.