Continued to draw the pension after granny left

A woman who continued to collect the pension of a granny who left the country for Lithuania had sentencing adjourned for a year at Sligo District Court to allow her repay the amount. Before the court was Christina Gardiner (38), a mother of eight, of Bearlough, Ballymote who admitted a sample charge of theft at Ballymote Post Office in May 2017. The court heard the defendant collected the State pension of her partner’s granny over an eight week period from April to June 2017 which came to €2,090.

The defendant was making a repayment of €38.20 a week which left an outstanding bal- ance of €1, 331.

Mr Mark Mullaney, solicitor (defending) pleaded that there was nothing in the form the defendant signed in 2009 when appointed as agent to collect the pension about leaving the country being a change in circumstances.

Mr Mullaney said the grandmother was diagnosed with Alzheimers when she went on holiday to her native Lithuania and she remained on there having originally intended to return to Ireland. The defendant had used the money to pay for the grandmother’s rent and utility bills. Money was also sent to Lithuania.