A woman who has accused an executive officer in the Department of Social Protection of telling her to perform a sex act in return for getting her out of trouble has admitted that she lied three times on an official form and was wrong to claim benefit while working.
The woman was giving evidence at the trial of Andrew Gilmartin, of Drumfad, Grange, Co Sligo, who is charged with coercion at the Social Welfare offices at Cranmore in Sligo in April 2014.
She admitted that she was claiming lone parents allowance and was also attending a course and had worked for a few weeks.
Mr Gilmartin denies the charge and Sligo Circuit Court heard he completely refutes the allegation she has made.
He told gardaí that he became frustrated with the woman and used bad language and was unprofessional.
He said he rang her mobile afterwards to apologise and heard a man's voice on the phone saying they were going to the gardaí.
Mr Gilmartin said he had told the woman that it was likely that she had committed fraud on three different fronts.
He added that he would like to deal with the situation locally and did not want it to escalate to prosecution and gave her until 30 April to come back to him.
He said the woman was upset and crying and he told her not to worry and they would work through it and she then left.
Mr Gilmartin's barrister Rory Staines put it to the woman that she had initiated civil proceedings for sexual assault and false imprisonment against him and that this was all about money.
The woman said proceedings had been issued but denied the case was all about money.
She agreed that the only physical contact between the two of them was a handshake.
Mr Staines put it to her that what she had alleged just did not happen but she said it did and she had lived with it for two years and three months.
Mr Staines said she is suggesting that she was vulnerable and was taken advantage of but in fact it was Mr Gilmartin who was being taken advantage of.
The woman said he could suggest whatever he liked but she was not lying.
The case before Judge Keenan Johnson has been adjourned until next Tuesday.
