Omagh man jailed for £126k benefit fraud had gambling addiction

AN Omagh man has been jailed after defrauding the benefits system of £126,000 over a 20-year period.

Michael McDonagh (43), of Slievecoole Park, was sentenced at Dungannon Crown Court on Wednesday after admitting eight counts of fraud by false representation between August 2003 and July 2023.

The court heard that McDonagh used fake identity documents under the aliases ‘Tom’, ‘Christopher’ and ‘Ciaran’ to claim a range of benefits – including Jobseeker’s Allowance, Housing Benefit, Universal Credit and other welfare schemes.

Over two decades, McDonagh swindled a total of £126,000 from the public purse, which was said to have funded a long-standing gambling addiction and left him with ‘no gain’.

Judge Brian Sherrard described it as a ‘tremendous amount’ stolen in a ‘selfish act’, calling it a ‘dishonest extraction’ of hard-earned taxpayers’ money from an already stretched social welfare budget.

“It’s an offence against the community,” added Judge Sherrard.

Although McDonagh has begun repaying the money through officially obtained benefits, the judge remarked that the debt is unlikely to ever be fully repaid.

Citing the case as ‘closer to organised fraud’, Judge Sherrard said such offences were ‘easy to commit’ but difficult to detect, and that a deterrent sentence was necessary.

McDonagh was assessed as having a high likelihood of reoffending due to his gambling issues.

While his previous convictions largely related to motoring offences, the court cited past dishonesty-related offences including forgery and the use of false documents.

He was sentenced to 18 months in custody, half to be served in prison and half on licence.