Samantha Cookes accused in connection with €60,000 social welfare fraud in Kerry

She was charged on two sample counts of fraud worth €464 before Judge David Waters at Tralee District Court with further charges to be processed, according to gardaí.

The 36-year-old is suspected to have collected 238 payments over a four year period.

Samantha Jade Cooke initially submitted a claim for Supplementary Welfare Allowance in February 2020 on the basis that she had Huntington’s Disease.

In September 2021, Ms Cookes submitted a disability allowance claim which was signed by a doctor.

After obtaining her medical records under Section 52, gardaí discovered that the accused had told her doctor that she was adopted and therefore couldn’t prove that she was previously diagnosed with Huntington’s and so the doctor signed her application in good faith. Ms Cookes claims she was “following doctor’s orders” and that she was medically led to believe that she has the disease.

During the course of the investigation, it was discovered that she posed as a safety consultant under the names Jane Harris and Samantha Jade Williams, providing a company name that is a variation of a currently trading company. Ms Cookes provided an invoice and was paid into her personal bank account.

Garda Raphael Liston, who has been investigating the allegations made against Ms Cookes since April 2024, gave evidence of arrest, charge and caution.

Objecting to her application for bail, Garda Liston told Judge David Waters that Ms Cookes has a history of using multiple aliases, variations of her own name and her mother’s, to hide her identity and has done so to cause financial and emotional damage to members of the community. He said her motives are not clear as she does not always financially benefit from them.

For the past 18 months, she has been living at an address in Tralee under the name Jade O’Sullivan and the court heard she is no longer welcome at that address.

Other aliases include Carrie Jade Williams, Jade O’Sullivan, Lucy Fitzwilliams, Jade Harris and Sadie Harris.

Garda Liston said that he believes she is a flight risk as she is a UK citizen, has not forfeited her passport and has no family ties to Ireland. He added that she poses a risk to the community and is likely to be further charged.

Wearing a pink hoody and a black skirt, Samantha Cookes told the judge that she still believes she has Huntington’s disease and has been suffering from neurological symptoms since 2019. She added that her previously existing mental health issues has made it difficult for her to engage with services.

Representing Ms Cookes, Pat Mann argued that the defendant wasn’t in possession of a passport and that she remained in the country even when she knew she was being investigated. She also agreed that she would swear an undertaking to stay in the area until the case is finished if granted bail.

Gardaí had tried to make an arrangement with Ms Cookes to question her before her arrest on Friday, however were forced to lie in wait at Tralee Post Office on a day when she was collecting her benefits as she failed to respond to them.

Judge David Waters refused bail as he said he was not satisfied that any bail conditions would prevent Ms Cookes from trying to avoid the courts system.

Ms Cookes was granted legal aid and is due to appear before Tralee District Court again on Wednesday via video link.