A MAN, currently serving a seven year sentence handed down at the Central Criminal Court for threatening to kill or cause serious harm to anther man in October 2009, has appeared at Limerick District Court on charges of defrauding the Department of Family and Social Affairs out of over €27,000 in welfare claims. 47-year-old Jimmy Collins, Crecora Avenue, was in court after state solicitor Michael Murray brought the charges some time ago after it became known that Collins defrauded the State of the money.
Brought to court on foot of a body warrant, Collins, the court was told, was unable to pay the State back the money as he was currently incarcerated.
Collins is serving the sentence after threatening to kill or cause serious harm to Mark Heffernan on October 17, 2009 at the Milk Market, Limerick, and with demanding money with menaces.
The current sentence also relates to demanding money with menaces at John Carew Park, Southill, on dates between January 29 and February 27, 2009.
Michael Murray addressed Judge Eamon O’Brien and said that the matter was now becoming historic in nature and given the fact that Mr Collins was now serving a “lengthy sentence”, he said that a custodial sentence would be a more prudent penalty for the social welfare defraud.
Judge Eamon O’Brien imposed a six month sentence in lieu of the “substantial arrears”.
