EXCLUSIVE | 

Face of woman accused of €270k pension fraud after search for ‘Ireland’s oldest man’

Amateur researcher uncovered case after finding evidence of a 110-year-old Laois man

Today at 17:30

This is the first picture of the pensioner charged over the alleged theft of more than €270,000 in benefit payments.

Our exclusive image shows 69-year-old Bergin leaving Portlaoise District Court on Thursday, where she was served with a book of evidence and sent forward to trial in the Circuit Court on 10 counts of alleged theft and five counts of alleged larceny.

An investigation into pension claims, allegedly made by Margaret Bergin, arose after an amateur gerontologist contacted Áras an Uachtaráin to enquire about records showing a 110-year-old man was living in Laois.

Detective Garda Peter Crosbie told the court the case began with the amateur gerontologist, who identifies the oldest people in the world, learning of a 110-year-old in Laois.

“This male would be Ireland’s oldest man,” he told the court. “It is alleged that the researcher decided to contact the Áras as he had suspicions,” Det Crosbie explained.

The Áras had a record of a man in Laois who was born on July 2, 1911.

They then contacted the Department of Social Protection, who visited the Fairfield House in Mountrath.

Applying for legal aid on behalf of his client, solicitor Philip Meagher told Judge Andrew Cody that Bergin, who is accused of claiming the payments on behalf of the deceased man between 1993 and 2022, has no savings and is in receipt of a State pension herself.

He added, that given the seriousness of the charges, legal aid for a second counsel was also being sought.

Mr Meagher said his client’s home was jointly owned with her husband but clarified that it was just a home and not a farm of any kind.

Dressed in a pink cardigan, black pants and white slip-on shoes, Bergin sat at the rear of the courtroom with an elderly male and a younger associate before approaching the stand when her case was called. She did not speak while her case was being dealt with.

Judge Cody enquired of Garda Sergeant JJ Kirby told Judge Cody that the amount alleged to have been stolen was €271,046.

“It is a large sum,” Judge Cody agreed before granting the legal aid request saying, “it qualifies for a senior [counsel] in my view.”

Judge Cody then issued Bergin with an alibi warning before remanding her on her own bond of €100 and sending her forward for trial before Portlaoise Circuit Court on October 24.

Bergin, of Fairfield House, Mountrath, had previously appeared before Portlaoise District Court on June 6 when Detective Garda Peter Crosbie outlined the nature of the case against her.

Bergin had been charged with 15 sample charges of theft and larceny relating to a sum of €271,046 of pension claims in the 29 years up to February 25, 2022, the court was told.

Gda Sgt JJ Kirby said the DPP had directed the matter be dealt with on indictment in a higher court.

Representing the accused, Suzanne Dooner BL objected to the evidence being heard in the District Court.

“These are all alleged facts. I would ask for it not to be reported on,” she said.

Judge Andrew Cody pointed out that the facts were only alleged and the accused was entitled to a presumption of innocence.

He refused to make an order preventing reporting before adjourning the matter to Thursday’s hearing.