Conman lived in penthouse and claimed €175k welfare

A MUSIC teacher who rented a penthouse with its own pool had dual identities so he could work and claim €175,000 in social welfare, a court heard yesterday.

Frenchman Daniel Daudet, 40, obtained a PPS number under the name Alexander Daude in 2002 and claimed unemployment, Back To Education and rent allowances up to 2015.

He got a PPS using his real name a year later and between March 2011 and May 2012 claimed social welfare payments under both aliases.

Garda Ian Abbey revealed the Dublin penthouse Daudet shared with his husband and occasional Airbnb guests was rented at €3,000 a month.

CONVICTED

The fraudster, of Baltrasna House, Spencer Dock, was convicted at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court in November using a false instrument on July 10, 2002 and using a false French identity card within on August 15, 2008.

He was also found guilty of 720 charges of fraudulently claiming benefits from 2002 to 2015.

Garda Abbey said the crimes were exposed when officials flagged claimant Alexander Daude who gave unsatisfactory details.

He told a prosecutor that an investigator searched online for Alexander Daude and found a Linkedin profile for Daniel Daudet.

The photo and DOB the Department had for Alexander Daude matched the Linkedin details.

Judge Melanie Greally remanded Daudet in custody ahead of sentencing later this month.