16 February 2005
FERMANAGH BENEFIT FRAUD CONVICTIONS
Enniskillen man, Thomas Boyd, was recently convicted in Enniskillen Magistrates Court for wrongly claiming benefits from the Social Security Agency.
Mr Boyd, of Hillview Road in the town, was working whilst claiming Severe Disablement Allowance, Income Support and Housing Benefit and, over a period of 3½ years, he had dishonestly received more than £18,000.
In addition to repaying the money he had falsely obtained, Magistrate Meehan sentenced Mr Boyd to a £100 fine on the first Housing Benefit charge. He also imposed a one month prison sentence, suspended for two years, and ordered him to pay £64 costs. On each of two more Housing Benefit charges and on each of a total count of eight Severe Disablement Allowance charges Mr Boyd was sentenced to a one month imprisonment, suspended for two years.
At the same court hearing, Rose Marie Bogue of Finn Park, Roslea was sentenced for failing to claim that she was living with her partner whilst claiming benefit. She had defrauded the Agency of more than £2,700.
In addition to repaying the Agency, Magistrate Meehan imposed a £100 fine for five offences and ordered her to pay £37 court costs.
These are the latest of a series of prosecutions brought by the Agency in its drive to clamp down on benefit fraud.
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