11 January 2023 , 14:21
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Ex-Labour MP Jared O'Mara has pleaded not guilty to an eighth charge of fraud ahead of his trial.
O'Mara, who defeated Nick Clegg to represent Sheffield Hallam from 2017 to 2019, is accused of submitting fraudulent invoices totalling more than £28,000 to the Parliament's Expenses watchdog, the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (Ipsa).
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 from Ipsa.
On Wednesday he pleaded not guilty to a further charge of falsely claiming to Ipsa that co-defendant John Woodliff was employed as a support officer, with responsibilities including "following up on social media queries and comments".
O'Mara, Woodliff and O'Mara's former aide Gareth Arnold are due to go on trial later this month.
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O'Mara represented Sheffield Hallam from 2017 to 2019 (PA)The former MP appeared by videolink at Leeds Cloth Hall Court and the other two defendants appeared in person.
A previous hearing was told that some of the counts relate to "services purported to have been provided by Gareth Arnold", and others refer to "services purported to have been provided by Confident About Autism South Yorkshire".
These offences are alleged to have occurred between May 2019 and February last year.
Arnold, of School Lane, Dronfield, Derbyshire, is jointly charged with six of these fraud offences and has pleaded not guilty to each.
O'Mara and Woodliff, of Hesley Road, Shiregreen, Sheffield, face a further charge under the Proceeds of Crime Act.
O'Mara, of Walker Close, Grenoside, Sheffield, won the Sheffield Hallam constituency for Labour from former Liberal Democrat leader Sir Nick Clegg in 2017, but later left the party after a series of controversies.
He stayed in office as an independent MP but did not contest the 2019 general election.
Ipsa is the body that regulates MPs' staffing and business costs as well as their pay and pensions.