EX-MP ‘made fake expenses claims to fund cocaine habit’

A FORMER MP tried to fraudulently claim up to £30,000 in taxpayers’ money to fund an “extensive cocaine habit”, prosecutors have said.

Jared O’mara, 41, who represented the constituency of Sheffield Hallam for Labour from 2017 to 2019, is on trial for submitting “dishonest” invoices to the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (Ipsa).

Jurors at Leeds Crown Court heard that he made four claims to Ipsa between June and August 2019 from a “fictitious” organisation called Confident About Autism SY, and submitted two invoices from his “chief of staff ” Gareth Arnold for media and PR work that prosecutors say was never carried out.

O’mara, who appeared in court by videolink yesterday, is also accused of submitting a false contract of employment for his friend John Woodliff, “pretending” that Woodliff worked for him as a constituency support officer.

O’mara is charged with eight counts of fraud by false representation, Arnold jointly charged with six of the offences and Woodliff jointly charged with one.

O’mara, Arnold and Woodliff deny all charges. The trial continues.