A MAN who collected almost £7,000 pension payments in a dead man's name has been remanded in custody for sentencing. Brian Watson found the pension book on a rubbish heap and later learned the payee was dead. He only intended to cash one cheque, but found it so easy to collect the disability payments that he finished the book.
He was even more surprised when the post office gave him another book, Judge Michael Moriarty was told in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Watson continued to cash the cheques until a "nosy neighbour" looked over his shoulder and noticed him writing the deceased man's name, Det Garda Michael McMahon said.
Last December, Watson (44) of Windmill Road, Dublin, admitted 79 charges of forgery, fraud, uttering forged cheques and obtaining £6,994 in social welfare payments by false pretences between November 1993 and April 1995.
Judge Moriarty said defrauding taxpayers' money was an offence which had to be taken seriously. He remanded Watson in custody to await sentence.