Woman who fraudulently claimed €104,000 in welfare spared jail

A school cleaner who fraudulently claimed more than €104,000 in social welfare over a 17-year period by pretending to be her sister has been given a suspended jail sentence.

Carol Clarke (57), of Dunard Drive, Navan Road, used the money to support her family and to help pay off one of her sons’ drug debts, Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard.

Clarke, a mother of five, pleaded guilty to two counts of stealing from the Department of Social Welfare at Phibsborough post office between February 1994 and July 2011. The total amount stolen was €104,431.

Judge Karen O’Connor sentenced Clarke to two years in prison, which she suspended in full.

She said she had taken into account the “heartbreak and tragedy” Clarke had suffered, as one son was shot dead and a second had taken his own life, and she was now caring full-time for her ill daughter.

‘Every good fortune’

Judge O’Connor wished Clarke “every good fortune” and commended her for looking after her daughter and grandchildren. She said she would not ask Clarke to compensate the State, because, she said, in her circumstances “it would be unduly onerous” considering her limited financial means.

Insp Thomas Lynch told Pieter Le Vert BL, prosecuting, that gardaí discovered in 2012 that social welfare was being claimed on behalf of Bernadette Darcy, Clarke’s sister.

Ms Darcy told gardaí she had no idea the welfare was being claimed under her name.

Clarke was arrested shortly afterwards and initially denied the claims, but following a number of handwriting and fingerprint tests she admitted to the offence. Staff at Phibsborough post office identified her as the culprit.

She has one previous conviction for handling stolen property in 1999.