Other News In Brief

Woman Convicted Of Benefit Fraud

A woman has been convicted for claiming benefits she was not entitled to at Newry Magistrates' Court.

Rosaleen Galbraith claimed Income Support and Carer's Allowance totalling £3,817 while failing to declare employment. She was given a fine of £200 and an offender levy of £15.

She is also required to repay any outstanding money wrongfully obtained to the Department for Communities.

Farmer Pleads Guilty To Waste Offences

A farmer has pleaded guilty to a number of waste offences in Crossmaglen, Co Armagh.

Martin Conlon of Loughross Road, Crossmaglen was made the subject of a £15,571 confiscation order at Newry Magistrates' Court, for offences under the Waste and Contaminated Land (Northern Ireland) Order 1997.

Costs of £902.40 were also awarded against the defendant.

Mr Conlon previously pleaded guilty to 24 charges relating to treating, keeping and depositing controlled waste, failing to comply with a notice to remove controlled waste and pollution of the environment. The waste was discovered during a visit by officers from the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) to Mr Conlon's Loughross Road house where they discovered a fuel laundering plant with associated hazardous waste.

NIEA officers also visited a site Mr Conlon ran at Cullaville Road, Crossmaglen where they discovered a large quantity of mixed domestic and commercial waste which was partially burned, and hazardous waste associated with fuel laundering.

Call For PM To 'Get A Grip'

SDLP Brexit Spokesperson Claire Hanna MLA has said that those elements in the London Government calling for a ‘No deal’ Brexit need to catch a grip of themselves and that Theresa May needs to get a grip on her cabinet.

Speaking after research published predicts tariff increases of up to 45% on some everyday essentials.

Ms Hanna said: "This nonsense that 'no deal is better than a bad deal' needs to be nipped in the bud. A 'no deal' Brexit is the absolute worst case scenario. It would inevitably lead to a hard border across this island as Britain and the EU become bitter neighbours and under World Trade Organisation rules, it would see the cost of some everyday essentials soar, hurting us all in the pocket.

"Unsurprisingly, the research from the Resolution Foundation and Suffolk University predicts that the impact of higher trade tariffs would be one third higher in Northern Ireland than in London, which perhaps explains why the issue isn't exercising the London cabinet of elites.

"Someone in Theresa May's cabinet has to wrestle the Brexit steering wheel back off Boris. He may be an amusing side show for political pundits but his influence now poses a real threat to the wellbeing of people on this island. That cannot be allowed to stand."

(CD/MH)