Fraud accused Samantha Cookes sent forward to stand trial in Kerry

Woman accused of stealing tens of thousands of euro from State in monthly supplementary and disability allowances over four years

Samantha Cookes at Tralee Court in Co Kerry. Picture: Domnick Walsh © Eye Focus

Alleged fraudster Samantha Cookes, who is accused of stealing tens of thousands of euro from the State in monthly supplementary and disability allowances over a four-year period, has been sent forward to the Circuit Criminal Court.

Ms Cookes, who appeared in person at Tralee District Court, dressed in pink and black and walking with a limp, has been sent forward on a total of 55 charges, including theft and deception.

Two holding charges were withdrawn by the State on application from Sergeant Chris Manton for the DPP at Wednesday’s sitting.

Sergeant Manton informed the court the DPP consented to send Ms Cookes forward to the currency sitting of Tralee Circuit Criminal Court and his application was for continuing remand in custody.

Brendan Ahern, solicitor for Ms Cookes, said there was no application for bail.

Judge David Waters, sending Ms Cookes forward on 55 charges, addressed her directly. He asked her if she understood what was meant by an alibi notice, and she replied “yes”.

Legal aid for a counsel as well as a solicitor was granted.

She has been in custody since her arrest in Tralee in July on “two sample charges”.

Samantha Cookes was arrested outside the post office on Edward Street, Tralee, in early July when she was due to collect a weekly disability allowance worth €232. She goes by a number of names, the court heard in July.

The charges

The 55 charges involve two counts of deception contrary to Section 6 of the Criminal Justice (Theft and Fraud Offences) Act, 2001.

These are that between September 3, 2021, and July 1, 2024, at the Disability Allowance Section, Department of Social Protection, Godfrey Place, Tralee, Samantha Cookes dishonestly and by deception, induced the Department of Social Protection to make payments in respect of a disability allowance to the amount of €40,264.

A second charge is that on dates between February 20, 2020 and October 6, 2021, she induced payments to the amount of €17,747.

There are 53 charges related to Section 4 theft, also under the Criminal Justice Act.

Of those, 20 relate to the alleged theft of monthly payments of supplementary welfare allowance payments each of €201 on dates between March 5, 2020, and October 6, 2021.

The other 33 relate to monthly disability allowance payments of €289.50 between November 3, 2021, and July 3, 2024.