Enniskillen Court House, RMGFH03
A MAN who had £75,000 in the bank when claiming benefits has been ordered to complete 80 hours community service.
Christopher Earley (29) of Coalhill Road, Brookeborough pleaded guilty to making a false declaration to obtain benefit and failing to inform social welfare for a change in his circumstances at Enniskillen Magistrates Court on Monday.
Authorities had carried out an investigation on Earley under the Fraud Act and discovered he had £75,000 in undeclared capital. Over a period of two years, from June 2013 until July 2015, Earley was overpaid £7,051.71 in Job Seekers Allowance (JSA). He has now repaid that amount in full.
Defence solicitor Garry Smyth explained to the court that Earley didn’t realise he had to declare the money and had believed he didn’t have access to the £75,000 as it had been in a bond, but that it had since matured. “It wasn’t black and white,” said the solicitor. “It was a grey area.”
Mr Smyth said Earley, who had no previous convictions, had been in long-term employment before claiming JSA and “felt he was entitled to something” after he was made redundant from his position as a joiner. He said the defendant, who was now a self-employed joiner and planned on moving to England for work, was very embarrassed and remorseful about what had happened, and accepted his culpability.
District Judge Nigel Broderick said such offences were serious, however he said Earley was due credit for his early guilty plea and because the money had been fully paid back. He ordered him to complete 80 hours community service on each count, with both orders to be run concurrently.
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