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Man jailed for wrongly claiming dead mother's pension

He wrongly claimed €158,726
He wrongly claimed €158,726 He wrongly claimed €158,726

A MAN who collected his mother's pension for more than 16 years after she died has been sent to jail.

Brian Bobey (64) from Walkinstown Parade in Dublin pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to fraudulently claiming almost €159,000.

He has been sentenced to 18 months in prison.

Bobey began claiming his mother's pension after her death in May 1997, the court was told.

He stopped in October 2013, following an investigation by the Department of Social Welfare.

He wrongly claimed €158,726, none of which was repaid.

Judge Patricia Ryan refused an offer by Bobey to repay €50 a week after hearing it would take 63 years.

Judge Ryan had been told that Bobey cooperated fully when a warrant to search his house was obtained. He told gardaí he knew it was "in relation to my mam's pension".

Defence counsel Blaise O'Carroll said his client was remorseful adding he had cared for both parents for some time before they died.

The judge said she took into account aggravating factors in the case, which was the amount of money involved and the long period over which the crime was committed.

She said she considered his guilty plea, admissions to gardaí, and the remorse shown, before passing sentence.

She added, however, that a custodial sentence was warranted and could not accept the proposal to pay back the sum at €50 a week.