A 41-year-old Newry man has been handed a four-month suspended prison sentence at Newry Magistrates’ Court for knowingly providing false medical documents as part of a Universal Credit claim.

Cosmin Varga, of O’Neill Avenue, Newry, submitted the forged papers in respect of his benefit application. The fraud was uncovered by Department for Communities investigators, and no overpayment occurred because staff identified the documents as false before any money was issued.

The court imposed a two-year suspended sentence. Suspected benefit fraud can be reported anonymously to the Department for Communities.