Midlands car dealer guilty of Covid-19 pandemic payment fraud

A motor dealer in the Midlands who “deliberately attempted to obtain benefit from the State” he was not entitled to was convicted and fined at Longford District Court.

Alex Kane (48), of Cartron, Granard was convicted of three counts of dishonestly by deception inducing the Minister of the Department of Social Protection to pay money into his Ulster Bank account.

Mr Kane received Pandemic Unemployment Payment totalling €2,653, but paid back €6,500 to the court when it came before Judge Bernadette Owens.

Inspector Paddy McGirl outlined how the defendant made four online applications for the PUP in May of 2020. Mr Kane subsequently received one payment of €203 and seven payments of €350 between April, 2020 and June 2020 totalling €2,653.

An investigation by the Revenue Commissioners indicated Mr Kane was not eligible for the payment and was in receipt of a payment from Northern Ireland in respect of an application he made as an employee of Rathcronin Motors, a company dissolved in 2018. The court was told Mr Kane has not been a PAYE employee since 2009.

Solicitor Fiona Baxter said her client “genuinely believed he was entitled to the payment: “This all happened at the start of the pandemic and people were coming to grips with the application and the process.”

In passing sentence Judge Owens noted the defendant's early plea and the fact Mr Kane paid back the money in full. Judge Owens noted there were “two applications in two jurisdictions” and a “deliberate attempt by the defendant to obtain benefit from the State” he was not entitled to. Although she noted the defendant had no previous convictions for similar offences the judge said it was “not appropriate to apply probation”.

Judge Owens imposed a conviction on three charges and handed down a fine of €250 in each case with three months to pay. Recognisance in the event of an appeal on the defendant's one bond of €250 and an independent surety of €700 to be approved by Gardaí and court.

A further charge of driving without insurance was adjourned to March 14 next to allow Gardaí check documents, while a charge of using marked gas oil in a motor vehicle was put back to February 14 for mention.