The alleged serial fraudster Samantha Cookes has been further charged with stealing and dishonestly inducing over €70,000 from the state in welfare payments over a four-year period.
35-year-old Ms Cookes, of no fixed abode, appeared in person in Tralee District Court, charged with 53 additional counts of theft, and two of deception.
She has previously been known by several different names during her time in Kerry, including Jade O’Sullivan and Carrie Jade Williams.
Samantha Cookes appeared in court in person, dressed in pink and walking with a limp.
She had originally been charged with two counts of fraud, and the court previously heard these were sample charges.
New charges brought against her today now accuse her of stealing tens of thousands of euro from the state between 2020 and 2024.
She is charged with dishonestly, by deception, induce the Department of Social Protection to make disability allowance payments to the value of over €40,000, at the Department of Social Protection office in Godfrey Place, Tralee between September 2021 and July 2024.
In addition, she is charged with dishonestly, by deception, inducing the Department to make supplementary welfare allowance payments to the amount of almost €18,000 at the office in Tralee between February 2020 and October 2021.
Both of these are deception charges contrary to Section 6 of the Criminal Justice Theft and Fraud Offences Act, 2001.
Ms Cookes is also alleged to have stolen supplementary welfare allowance payments of €201 at a location within the state every month between March 2020 and October 2021 inclusive.
She is then accused of stealing payments of the disability allowance of €289.50 each at a location within the state every month from November 2021 to July 2024 inclusive.
Sergeant Chris Manton said the Director of Public Prosecutions had directed trial on indictment on the new charges, and sought to remand her in continuing custody.
Defendants can only be remanded for seven days on new charges, and Ms Cookes’ solicitor Brendan Ahern said he had no objection to the application.
Judge David Waters remanded her in continuing custody to appear in court via video link on 9th October.
