Sunday 1 November 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. 23191Theft (Jobseeker's Allowance fraud) · Co. Dublin

Ukrainian woman jailed over Jobseeker's Allowance fraud

Tetiana Stakhiv, 51, a Ukrainian woman, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to theft of €9,103 from the Department of Social Protection between October 2025 and April 2026, having flown in and out of Ireland every fortnight to collect Jobseeker's Allowance despite never having lived in the country. Judge Martin Nolan sentenced her to 10 months' imprisonment, backdated to 25 May 2026.

  1. Reportednot reported
  2. Arrestednot reported
  3. Chargednot reported
  4. In courtnot reported
  5. Verdictnot reported
  6. Sentenced15 Oct
reportedhappened, not reportedlatest stagenot yet

Key facts

consolidated from all reports
13 statements extracted from the articles
  • whatShe was living outside Ireland and travelling every two weeks to collect Jobseeker's Allowance payments (rte.ie)
  • whatA DSSP check found she had never lived at any of the addresses she had given to the department (rte.ie)
  • whatSeveral flights between Dublin and Poland aligned closely with her collection dates (rte.ie)
  • whatShe told gardaí she came to Ireland in late 2023 to collect her then underage daughter and return to Ukraine (rte.ie)
  • investigationShe was arrested in May 2026 (rte.ie)
  • chargeTetiana Stakhiv pleaded guilty to theft of €9,103 from the Department of Social Protection between October 2025 and April 2026 (rte.ie)
  • courtThe case was heard at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court (rte.ie)
  • sentenceJudge Martin Nolan imposed a 10-month sentence backdated to 25 May 2026 (rte.ie)
  • otherShe had been receiving treatment for a serious medical condition that was no longer available after the war broke out in Ukraine (rte.ie)
  • otherShe was buying her medication on the black market (rte.ie)
  • otherShe had no cash, personal belongings or trappings of wealth when arrested (rte.ie)
  • otherShe had no English and no family or ties to the jurisdiction (rte.ie)
  • otherShe was planning to live with her 24-year-old daughter in Bulgaria after release (rte.ie)

The reporting

newest first
  1. 15 Oct2026
    Sentencedrte.ie, first report
    Ukrainian woman jailed over Jobseeker's Allowance fraud

    Sentencing report: 10-month custodial sentence backdated to 25 May 2026, with mitigation accepted for the war in Ukraine, her medical condition, lack of English, and absence of family ties to Ireland.

    convicted, Tetiana Stakhiv, 51, female, Ukrainian, named, non-irishTetiana Stakhiv