William Hay’s brother in law to face court on expenses fraud charges
THE brother-in-law of former DUP Assembly Speaker Willie Hay is to appear in court tomorrow on multiple fraud charges.
William ‘Bill’ Irwin, of Duncastle Road, Newbuildings, will face Derry Magistrates’ Court on Monday morning for a first appearance on a Public Prosecution Service summons.
The 55-year-old is to be formally charged with 23 counts of fraud by false representation.
The charges relate to the misuse of public money over the purchase of home heating oil for Mr Hay’s constituency office at Ebrington Terrace.
They span a five year period while Irwin was employed as Mr Hay’s office manager in Derry.
The charges read that the “defendant on a date unknown between the March 2009 and and February 2014 in the County Court Division of Derry or elsewhere within the Crown Court jurisdiction of Northern Ireland, dishonestly and intending thereby to make a gain for yourself or another or to cause loss to another or to expose another to the risk of loss, made a false representation in claim to the NI Assembly for payment for heating oil expenditure for a Constituency Office at 9 Ebrington Terrace, Derry in that it did not represent the true outlay of said heating oil expenditure for the said Constituency Office, in breach of section 2 of the Fraud Act 2006 contrary to Section 1 of the Fraud Act 2006.”
The PSNI’s Organised Crime Branch launched a probe following allegations made in a BBC NI Spotlight investigation last year.
The programme alleged that £4,355 was claimed in one year in the name of the former assembly speaker and DUP MLA Willie Hay for his constituency office’s heating oil – the cost of heating his offices increased from £265 over a 10-year period.
Following the airing of the programme, Mr Irwin was later suspended by the DUP.
Mr Irwin is a former DUP councillor in Derry.
He can opt to have his case heard at the magistrates court which carries a maximum sentence of six months in prison on conviction.
However, if the PPS decide to have him tried in the Crown Court, the maximum sentence on conviction is ten years in custody.
The offences are deemed much more seriously as they are regarded as a “breach of trust” as Irwin was in a position of responsibility as the office manager to safeguard the misuse of public money.
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