The state expects to have the book of evidence against alleged fraudster Samantha Cookes ready in approximately a month.
35-year-old Ms Cookes, who is of no fixed abode, faces a total of 57 charges alleging theft, deception, and fraud.
She appeared in court in Tralee via video link from Limerick Women’s Prison, where Sergeant Stephen O’Brien provided the update in her case.
Ms Cookes has previously been known by several different aliases during her time in Kerry, including Jade O’Sullivan in Tralee and Carrie Jade Williams when she posed as a disability activist in Cahersiveen.
Between February 2020 and the end of 2021, she is accused of dishonestly, by deception, inducing the Department of Social Protection to make supplementary welfare allowance payments of almost €18,000 at the office in Tralee.
In the same time period, she’s accused of stealing monthly supplementary welfare allowance payments of €201 per month.
Then, from the second half of 2021 up to her arrest in July this year, Ms Cookes is accused of dishonestly, by deception, inducing the Department to make disability allowance payments to the value of over €40,000.
Over that time, she’s also accused of stealing disability allowance payments of €289.50 every month.
She separately faces two sample charges of fraud to the value of €464.
In Tralee District Court, Sergeant Stephen O’Brien said he had spoken to the state solicitor’s office yesterday, and the book of evidence against Ms Cookes will be ready in approximately a month.
Sgt O’Brien said the state was seeking to remand her in continuing custody for a month.
Her solicitor Brendan Ahern asked that she be remanded for two weeks for another update at that time, and then there will be consent to a further remand.
Judge David Waters remanded Ms Cookes in continuing custody at Limerick Women’s Prison to 23rd October, when she’ll again appear at Tralee District Court via video link.
