Samantha Cookes fooled GP into believing she had Huntington’s Disease in €60k welfare fraud

Cookes led a respected GP into filling out a form in 2020 saying she had been already diagnosed with the disease and referencing other medical people

Samantha Cookes led the doctor to believe she was struggling to grip things, use the stairs and shower while her balance and co-ordination were affected. File photo: Domnick Walsh © Eye Focus LTD

Fraudster Samantha Cookes duped a respected GP into filling out a form saying she had been already diagnosed with Huntington's Disease which, she claimed, was life-limiting and terminal.

A sentence hearing for the 36-year-old was adjourned on Wednesday. She last week entered guilty pleas at the Circuit Criminal Court in Tralee to stealing over €60,000 from the Department of Social Protection.