73-year-old grandmother jailed after making husband pretend to be 110-year-old deadbeat dad and claim €270k pension due to ‘vicious cycle’ of fraud

A PENSIONER who has been demanding his deceased father-in-law’s pension for nearly 30 years has been sentenced to prison.

Arrogant grandmother Margaret Bergin, 73, was today jailed for two years after admitting a string of fraud charges.

Company laois The local pictured above admitted claiming the pension of the late John Bergin, who died in 1993 at the age of 82. Trousers worth more than €271,000 before it rumbles.

The crimes were discovered after the investigator double-checked Aras and Uachtarain to see if they were a 110-year-old man the state had taken over. pension.

Judge Keenan Johnson, sitting at the Circuit Court in Portlaoise today, imposed a sentence of five years and six months, but suspended the final three years and six months.

He told him: “This is an extremely serious case of theft and fraud that has caused great damage to the State.

“Social welfare “The system is built on trust and exists to ensure that those who deserve help and support from the State receive it.”

In the apology letter read in the newspaper court Earlier this week, Ms Bergin said she wanted to “sincerely apologize” for what she did and say how sorry she was for committing the offence.

The woman, who said she was ashamed and ashamed of what she had done, begged the judge to “show me as much mercy as you can.”

At a previous hearing in June, Bergin pleaded guilty to ten counts of theft and five counts of theft.

He began receiving the money after his father-in-law, John Bergin, died in 1993 at the age of 82.

Detective Garda Peter Crosbie told the sentencing hearing that an investigation was launched after an amateur gerontologist became curious.

Áras an Uachtarain officials contacted the visiting Ministry of Social Protection.

They were introduced to a man lying in bed named Mr. Bergin, who they were told was “deaf and confused.”

Det Garda Crosbie said authorities were not convinced as he looked nothing like the man.

The impostor also appeared to be fully clothed and wearing shoes or boots under the bed covers, and there was no medical assistance in the room.

BONUS CHECK FROM THE PRESIDENT

Det Garda Crosbie later discovered Mr Bergin’s remains in a cemetery in Clonad, Co Laois.

The detective stated that he discovered silver coins that are given every year in Áras and Uachtarain to people who have reached the age of 100.

Also found during the search were an uncashed check for €2,540 issued by the President for John Bergin’s 100th birthday, pension receipts from An Post and Mass cards sent to the family at his funeral.

Margaret Bergin later admitted that the person lying in bed was her husband, Seamus.

He told gardaí: “I knew I was in trouble. I hate it. Nobody told you to stop. “It wasn’t like Child Allowance.”

He added: “It was a vicious cycle. “It was like digging a hole when you don’t stop digging.”

Det Crosbie said Bergin’s husband also stated that he knew nothing about what she was doing.

Judge Johnson had previously observed that the true value of the stolen money was probably over €400,000; this value was further increased by his constant efforts to “cover his tracks” and his initial lack of cooperation with the authorities.

The judge said it was “so strange it’s nonsense” to bed someone who would pretend to be his father-in-law.

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