No jail for pensioner who stole over €100k using sister's social welfare card

A Dublin pensioner who stole over €100,000 by using her sister's social welfare card to fraudulently claim benefits has avoided jail on condition she carries out 240 hours community service writes Sonya McLean and Fiona Ferguson.

Marie McMahon (68), a former women's rights campaigner, told gardaí that when her sister Katherine emigrated to America in 1992, her friend initially used the woman's social welfare card to pick up her benefits. When this woman went into hospital McMahon agreed to continue collecting the payments and they split the money between them.