Former Sheffield MP Jared O'Mara denies eighth fraud charge

Former Sheffield MP Jared O'Mara has pleaded not guilty to an eighth charge of fraud ahead of his trial.

Mr O'Mara, who represented Sheffield Hallam from 2017 to 2019, is accused of submitting fraudulent invoices to Parliament's expenses watchdog.

The 41-year-old previously denied seven counts of fraud by false representation relating to sums of £28,700 alleged to have been claimed dishonestly.

He faces trial at Leeds Cloth Hall Court this month alongside two others.

On Wednesday he pleaded not guilty to a further charge of falsely claiming to the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (Ipsa) that co-defendant John Woodliff was employed as a support officer with responsibilities including "following up on social media queries and comments".

The pair are due to stand trial on 23 March alongside Mr O'Mara's former aide Gareth Arnold.

Mr Arnold, 30, of School Lane, Dronfield, Derbyshire, has pleaded not guilty to to six fraud offences.

Mr O'Mara, of Walker Close, Grenoside, Sheffield, and Mr Woodliff, 43, of Hesley Road, Shiregreen, Sheffield, also face a further charge under the Proceeds of Crime Act.

The former MP appeared at Leeds Cloth Hall Court by videolink for Wednesday's hearing and the other two defendants appeared in person.

A previous hearing was told some of the counts related to "services purported to have been provided by Gareth Arnold" and others referred to "services purported to have been provided by Confident About Autism South Yorkshire".

Mr O'Mara was elected to Parliament in June 2017 after his shock victory in Sheffield Hallam over former Liberal Democrat leader Sir Nick Clegg.

He quit Labour in 2018 but remained in office as an independent MP before standing down at the 2019 general election.

Ipsa is the body that regulates MPs' staffing and business costs as well as their pay and pensions.