Samantha Jade Cookes, aged 36, pleaded guilty to 18 charges at Tralee Circuit Criminal Court, admitting to stealing €60,334 from the State. The offenses spanned several years, during which she falsely claimed to have Huntington's disease to acquire welfare payments. The deceitful actions resulted in supplementary social welfare payments of over €40,000 from September 2021 to July 2024, along with nearly €18,000 from February 2020 to October 2021. Cookes has been in custody since July and is scheduled for sentencing on February 19, after pleading guilty to a total of 16 counts of theft.
Samantha Jade Cookes, pleading guilty to 18 charges, defrauded the State of €60,334 in welfare payments through deception over a four-year period.
Cookes induced the Department of Social Protection to make payments by falsely claiming to have Huntington's disease, leading to significant unauthorized welfare benefits.
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