A former Sheffield MP who faked expenses claims in a failed bid to fund his extensive cocaine habit is due to be sentenced today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jared O\u2019Mara, 41, the former Member of Parliament for Sheffield Hallam, and his former chief of staff Gareth Arnold were convicted yesterday following a trial.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They were found guilty of their roles in trying to fraudulently claim taxpayers\u2019 money for work that was never carried out and jobs that didn\u2019t exist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
O\u2019Mara, who has autism, even invented an organisation called \u2018Confident About Autism SY\u2019. Along with Arnold, he produced fake invoices that he tried to slip through, seeking to hide behind the fact it was related to his disability if ever challenged.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At Leeds Crown Court, O\u2019Mara, of Walker Close, Sheffield, was found guilty of six counts of fraud. He was found not guilty of a further two counts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Arnold, of School Lane, Dronfield, was found guilty of three counts of fraud, and cleared of three further counts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A third man, John Woodliff, 43, of Dunninc Terrace, Sheffield, was cleared of a single count of fraud.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
O\u2019Mara and Arnold\u2019s crimes unfolded in 2019 when O\u2019Mara was still working as an independent MP.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
During the trial, the court heard dishonest claims were made to the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA), which regulates MPs\u2019 business costs and expenses. Due to IPSA\u2019s concerns, none of the claims were ever paid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Arnold, 30, was a long-standing friend of O\u2019Mara and had been introduced to a member of the team in his constituency office as a volunteer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Claims were also submitted for the fictitious organisation \u2018Confident About Autism SY\u2019, with invoices which looked different every time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The total value of the fraud was almost \u00a352,610. The convictions follow an extensive South Yorkshire Police investigation which included significant analysis of digital devices and financial records.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
DC Kathryn Hughes, investigating, said: \u201cO\u2019Mara clearly viewed IPSA as a source of income that was his to spend however he wanted \u2013 and that included funding his extensive cocaine habit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOur enquiries, including analysis of the defendants\u2019 digital devices, revealed he was living well beyond his means and had a significant drug problem. He was in a dire financial situation, including being in debt to a dealer. It was evident he had seen this opportunity as a solution to his problems \u2013 all at the taxpayers\u2019 expense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cO\u2019Mara was in a position of immense responsibility and trust as a Member of Parliament and for him to behave in such a way with public money is inexcusable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cO\u2019Mara and Arnold are now facing the consequences of their unlawful and dishonest actions.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A former Sheffield MP who faked expenses claims in a failed bid to fund his extensive cocaine habit is due to be sentenced today. Jared O\u2019Mara, 41, the former Member of Parliament for Sheffield Hallam, and his former chief of staff Gareth Arnold were convicted yesterday following a trial. They were found guilty of their […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":137,"featured_media":46529,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[709,57,795,796,38],"class_list":["post-46527","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-court","tag-crime","tag-hallam","tag-mp","tag-sheffield"],"yoast_head":"\n