Teenager pleads guilty to using garda’s PPS number to obtain Covid-19 payment

A Co Westmeath teenager has pleaded guilty to using a garda’s PPS number to fraudulently obtain Covid-19 pandemic unemployment payments totalling €1,050.

Daniel Lacatus (19) appeared before Mullingar District Court on Friday on charges of having three payments of the €350 weekly unemployment support lodged to his account in the Bank of Ireland in Drogheda.

Lacatus, of Abbeylands, Mullingar, Co Westmeath, pleaded guilty to three offences under section 18 of the Criminal Justice (Theft and Fraud Offences) Act 2001 of possession of stolen property on April 21st, April 28th and May 5th.

Sgt Kevin O’Brien told the court that the defendant had obtained the money by making an online application to the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection using the PPS number of a serving garda.

The court heard that Lacatus, who had no previous convictions, made no reply when arrested and charged.

Sgt O’Brien said the defendant had co-operated fully with gardaí­ and he believed Lacatus had been “used himself” in relation to the offences.

Solicitor for Lacatus, Dermot Monahan, said his client had brought the full amount of €1,050 to court to repay the stolen money after borrowing it from friends and family.

The court heard that Lacatus, an Irish citizen of Romanian background, worked as a car-wash attendant but was currently unemployed.

Mr Monahan said he was not seeking to minimise Lacatus’s role in the offences but stressed he had played “a very, very minor” part in what had happened.

Judge Deirdre Gearty said Lacatus was guilty of “a despicable crime” given the Government had put in place a system to provide people with money to tide them over the Covid-19 pandemic.

The judge said she was “bemused” at how Lacatus had accessed the PPS number of a garda to obtain the fraudulent payments.

“I want to ask the question but I’m not sure I want to know the answer,” she remarked.

Judge Gearty adjourned sentencing in the case to October 1st to allow for a probation report to assess Lacatus’ suitability to carry out community service in lieu of a prison term.