Thursday 29 October 2026Compiled from published reports. Every claim links to its source.

Ireland Crime

Every case followed from the first report to the sentence, or to where the reporting stopped.

Case No. 7774Fraud (using false instruments and deception) · Co. Louth

Man who used false documents to work as child psychologist jailed for four years

Nikiwe Dube (41), a man with an address at Colpe Drive, Deepforde, Drogheda, Co Louth, used false documents to secure work as a child psychologist, including at Gateway Residential Care in Sligo from November 2019 to November 2021, and received €172,000 in wages and expenses. Gardaí arrested him in Drogheda in August 2022. He pleaded guilty to four counts of using a false instrument and two counts of deception relating to TTM Healthcare and the HSE. On 26 July 2023 Judge Elva Duffy jailed him for four years after mitigation, from a headline sentence of five and a half years, backdated to 5 August 2022.

  1. Reportednot reported
  2. Arrestednot reported
  3. Chargednot reported
  4. In courtnot reported
  5. Verdictnot reported
  6. Sentenced26 Jul
reportedhappened, not reportedlatest stagenot yet

Key facts

consolidated from all reports
What happened
  • A man used false documents to secure employment as a child psychologist.
  • Dube was employed by Gateway Residential Care in Sligo as a child psychologist from November 2019 to November 2021 and received €172,000 in wages and expenses.
  • The Psychological Society of Ireland does not issue identification badges, and Dube had one purportedly from it.
Where
Dube gave an address at Colpe Drive, Deepforde, Drogheda, Co Louth.
When
  • The false instruments were used on dates between November 2019 and February 2022.
  • The sources give different dates for the TTM Healthcare dealings: one says Dube was put forward for a senior post with an annual salary of €80,000 in February 2022, and the court report says he was placed on TTM's books between 15 August and 9 September 2021.
Investigation
  • Gardaí found the letter of validation submitted in Dube's application to be false.
  • Gardaí arrested Dube in Drogheda in August 2022.
Charges
  • Dube pleaded guilty to four counts of using a false instrument, including a psychological transcript with a false garda stamp, a false identification badge and a fake medical certificate.
  • Dube pleaded guilty to two counts of deception relating to TTM Healthcare and the HSE.
In court
Judge Elva Duffy imposed the sentence.
Sentence
  • The judge said the case warranted a headline sentence of five and a half years before a four-year sentence was imposed after mitigation.
  • The sentence was backdated to 5 August 2022, when Dube first went into custody.
Other details
  • Dube had no previous convictions, was born in Zimbabwe and had worked as an LGBT counsellor for six years.
  • The judge acknowledged Dube's immediate admissions, remorse, guilty plea, positive probation report and diabetes, and said the fraud was carried out without an apparent purpose.
17 statements extracted from the articles
  • whatA man used false documents to secure employment as a child psychologist. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatDube was employed by Gateway Residential Care in Sligo as a child psychologist from November 2019 to November 2021. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatDube received €172,000 in wages and expenses from Gateway Residential Care. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatIn February 2022 Dube was put forward for a senior post with an annual salary of €80,000 by TTM Healthcare. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatThe Psychological Society of Ireland does not issue identification badges, and Dube had one purportedly from it. (irishtimes.com)
  • whereDube gave an address at Colpe Drive, Deepforde, Drogheda, Co Louth. (irishtimes.com)
  • investigationGardaí found the letter of validation submitted in Dube's application to be false. (irishtimes.com)
  • investigationGardaí arrested Dube in Drogheda in August 2022. (irishtimes.com)
  • chargeDube pleaded guilty to four charges of using a false instrument between November 2019 and February 2022. (irishtimes.com)
  • chargeDube pleaded guilty to two counts of deception relating to TTM Healthcare and the HSE. (irishtimes.com)
  • courtJudge Elva Duffy imposed the sentence. (irishtimes.com)
  • sentenceThe judge said the case warranted a headline sentence of five and a half years before a four-year sentence was imposed after mitigation. (irishtimes.com)
  • sentenceThe sentence was backdated to August 5, 2022, when Dube first went into custody. (irishtimes.com)
  • otherDube had no previous convictions. (irishtimes.com)
  • otherDube was born in Zimbabwe and had worked as an LGBT counsellor for six years. (irishtimes.com)
  • otherThe judge acknowledged Dube's immediate admissions, remorse, guilty plea, positive probation report and diabetes. (irishtimes.com)
  • otherThe judge said Dube carried out the fraud without an apparent purpose. (irishtimes.com)

The reporting

newest first
  1. 26 Jul2023
    Sentencedirishtimes.com, first report
    Man who used false documents to get child psychologist job and live ‘fake life’ jailed for four years

    Sentencing hearing reporting the guilty pleas, the court's reasoning, the four-year sentence and the backdating to August 5, 2022.

    convicted, Nikiwe Dube, 41, male, namedNikiwe Dube