A former Sheffield MP who faked expenses claims in a failed bid to fund his extensive cocaine habit has been jailed.
Jared O’Mara, 41, the former Member of Parliament for Sheffield Hallam, and his former chief of staff Gareth Arnold were sentenced today following a trial.
At Leeds Crown Court, O’Mara, of Walker Close, Sheffield, was found guilty of six counts of fraud. O’Mara has been jailed for four years. He will serve half of that sentence in custody before being released on licence.
O’Mara and Arnold were found guilty of their roles in trying to fraudulently claim taxpayers’ money for work that was never carried out and occupations that didn’t exist.
O’Mara, who has autism, invented an organisation called ‘Confident About Autism SY’ along with Arnold to produce fake invoices that he tried to slip through, seeking to hide behind the fact it was related to his disability if ever challenged.
Arnold, of School Lane, Dronfield, has been handed a 15-month sentence suspended for two years after being found guilty of three counts of fraud, and cleared of three further counts.
In 2017 O’Mara defeated former Liberal Democrat leader Sir Nick Clegg, winning a majority seat in Sheffield Hallam for Labour, but later left the party due to a chain of altercations.
O’Mara and Arnold’s crimes unfolded in 2019 when O’Mara, 41, was still working as an independent MP.
During yesterday’s trial, the court heard dishonest claims were made to the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA), which regulates MPs’ business costs and expenses. Due to IPSA’s concerns, none of the claims were ever paid.
IPSA Chief Executive Ian Todd said: “We note today’s verdicts and want to thank the IPSA staff whose diligence meant that the irregularities were spotted and no money was ever paid in connection to the invoice submissions.
“Since 2010, the vast majority of Members of Parliament have followed IPSA’s rules, and the public should be assured that MP’s business costs are regulated independently and carefully.”
Arnold, 30, was a long-standing friend of O’Mara and had been introduced to a member of the team in his constituency office as a volunteer.
Claims were also submitted for the fictitious organisation ‘Confident About Autism SY’, with invoices which looked different every time.
The total value of the fraud was almost £52,610. The convictions follow an extensive South Yorkshire Police investigation which included significant analysis of digital devices and financial records.