Dead baby's identity 'was stolen to claim benefits'
A Chirk woman allegedly stole the identity of a dead baby to claim benefits and obtain a passport, a court has heard. A Chirk woman allegedly stole the identity of a dead baby to claim benefits and obtain a passport, a court has heard. Georgina Sharon Murphy, 52, is alleged to have used the name of Gail Jones over three and a half years to obtain various benefits. Read more in today's Shropshire Star
Georgina Sharon Murphy, 52, is alleged to have used the name of Gail Jones over three and a half years to obtain various benefits.
The court was told that Gail Jones, who was born in 1957, died as a child.
Yesterday Murphy, of Pen y Waun, Chirk, appeared at Wrexham Magistrates Court to face nine separate charges.
It was alleged that on August 21, 2006, Murphy falsified accounting documents - a National Insurance Number - that claimed she was Gail Jones, born, May 10, 1957, when Gail Jones was deceased.
She also faced charges that she used the name to obtain a passport for herself and dishonestly represented that she was Gail Jones to gain Job Seekers Allowance. Murphy also faced four charges of fraud, by falsifying applications for council tax and housing benefit, and using the false identity at Denbighshire County Council between October 2006 and May 2007.
She also faced further charges that she used a different name, Georgina Lara, to obtain housing benefit, and that between January and December 2009, she did not notify the Department of Pensions of a change in circumstance about a disability.
No pleas were taken and Wrexham magistrates declined jurisdiction in the case, which was committed to Mold Crown Court for a hearing on April 9.
Murphy was granted bail.
