Wednesday 28 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. 2163Social welfare fraud, theft (deception) · Co. Kerry · 28 Feb 2020

Samantha Cookes jailed for three years for social welfare fraud involving fake Huntington's disease claim

Samantha Cookes, 36, was sentenced to three years' imprisonment at Tralee Circuit Court after pleading guilty to two counts of deception and 16 sample theft charges for claiming €60,334.35 in welfare payments while falsely claiming to have Huntington's disease between February 2020 and June 2024.

  1. Reportednot reported
  2. Arrestednot reported
  3. Chargednot reported
  4. In courtnot reported
  5. Verdictnot reported
  6. Sentenced5 Mar
reportedhappened, not reportedlatest stagenot yet

Key facts

consolidated from all reports
10 statements extracted from the articles
  • whatThe total amount involved was €60,334.35. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatShe drew 74 payments totalling €17,747 in supplementary welfare payments. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatShe led a GP into filling out a form in 2020 saying she had previously been diagnosed with the disease. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatShe failed to turn up for scans and appointments and did not have genetic testing. (irishtimes.com)
  • whereShe was arrested outside a post office in Tralee. (irishtimes.com)
  • whenThe money was taken between February 28, 2020 and June 12, 2024. (irishtimes.com)
  • courtThe sentence was handed down at Tralee Circuit Court. (irishtimes.com)
  • sentenceThe sentence was backdated to July of last year. (irishtimes.com)
  • otherThe judge said the fraud would have been discovered quicker had it not been for the Covid-19 pandemic. (irishtimes.com)
  • otherShe wrote to the judge claiming to be a victim of psychosis. (irishtimes.com)

The reporting

newest first
  1. 5 Mar2025
    Sentencedirishtimes.com, first report
    Serial fraudster jailed for three years for ‘deliberate fraud’ over protracted period

    Sentencing report: Judge Ronan Munro imposed a four-year sentence with the final year suspended, backdated to July 2024. Cookes has five previous convictions for similar offences including posing as a psychologist and taking money for a children's trip to Lapland.

    convicted, Samantha Cookes, 36, female, named, irish (judged from name)Samantha Cookes