Jared O'Mara: Ex-MP was incompetent not dishonest, jury told

Jared O'Mara served as MP for Sheffield Hallam from June 2017 to November 2019

A jury has been asked to decide whether an ex-Sheffield Hallam MP accused of fraud acted "dishonestly or incompetently" when filing expenses.

Jared O'Mara is accused of submitting fraudulent invoices worth nearly £30,000 to IPSA, the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority.

His legal team told a jury at Leeds Crown Court they must consider his state of mind at the time of the alleged offences.

Mr O'Mara denies eight counts of fraud.

During his closing arguments, Mr Mark Kelly KC, representing Mr O'Mara, told the court his client had autism, was born with cerebral palsy and was suffering from anxiety and depression at the time of the alleged offences.

"From all sources, the evidence is this man was suffering, and suffering badly," Mr Kelly said.

"He is haemorrhaging staff, they're either being fired for no good reason or leaving. He's not behaving in a rational manner."

Gareth Arnold is on trial alongside Jared O'Mara at Leeds Crown Court

Prosecutors allege Mr O'Mara made several fraudulent claims to IPSA from a "fictitious" organisation called Confident About Autism SY, and submitted two invoices from his "chief of staff" Gareth Arnold for media and PR work he had not carried out.

It is also claimed he submitted a false contract of employment for third defendant John Woodliff, "pretending" he worked as a constituency support officer.

Mr Kelly said: "If Mr O'Mara believed that work had been done, or services had been provided to him, as claimed in invoices, then the question arises whether he was acting honestly when he made the application.

"He believed he was entitled to make a claim due to the assistance of these two men."

He later asked jurors to consider: "Was he acting dishonestly or is he simply failing to follow proper procedures because of administrative ignorance or incompetence?"

John Woodliff 43, of Hesley Road, Shiregreen, denies one count of fraud

The 41-year-old former MP, of Walker Close, Sheffield, was elected to Parliament for Labour in June 2017, but quit the party the following year and became an independent after he was suspended by the party over comments he'd posted online before becoming an MP.

He stood down in 2019, the same year it is alleged the fraud offences took place.

'A stinking rat'

Richard Wright KC, for the prosecution, earlier questioned why Mr O'Mara and Mr Arnold stopped resubmitting rejected invoices to IPSA "if these claims were genuine".

"As soon as IPSA smell a rat, and what a stinking rat it was, they run away and abandon them, shredding invoices and deleting emails," Mr Wright alleged.

Mr Arnold, 30, of School Lane, Dronfield, Derbyshire, denies six charges of fraud.

Mr Woodliff, 43, of Hesley Road, Shiregreen, denies one charge of fraud.

Mr O'Mara and Mr Woodliff both declined the opportunity to give evidence in their defence.

The trial continues.