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Benefit fraudsters sentenced
Ref : 10/018 : Date : 11-02-2010
Two benefit fraudsters appeared for sentence at Worthing Magistrates Court.
Andrea Short, 63 years, a married woman of Tower Road, Lancing appeared at Worthing Magistrates Court on Monday 8th February 2010. She had pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to two offences under the Social Security Administration Act involving Housing and Council Tax benefit fraud totalling £7,967.41. The case had been adjourned for probation reports.
Caroline Perry, prosecuting for Adur District Council informed the court that between September 2006 and September 2009 Mrs Short had been in receipt of an occupational pension and an undisclosed bank account, which she had failed to disclose when submitting her claim for Housing and Council Tax benefits in September 2006.
Mrs Short was sentenced to a twelve month Community Order which includes a three month electronically tagged curfew from 6pm to 6am daily. Mrs Short was also ordered to pay £651.00 prosecution costs.
Mr Stuart Norris, 29 years, of Old Shoreham Road, Hove, also appeared for sentence at Worthing Magistrates Court, he had pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing.
The Court was told that between July 2008 and June 2009 Mr Norris was living in Park Road, Shoreham with his wife and children. Norris who was declared to be unemployed at the time, allowed his wife to submit a housing and council tax benefit claim form, which he had also signed, but he failed to disclose to his wife or Adur District Council benefits office that he was the owner of 3 flats in Crewe, Cheshire. This resulted in a recoverable overpayment of Housing and Council Tax benefit amounting to £9,725.00.
By way of explanation Norris told the court that he had purchased the properties through a company who would fund the mortgage repayments through rents and that he would not receive any income until the properties were sold. He accepted that he was wrong to allow his wife to submit the application for benefits without disclosing the properties.
Mr Toole-Mackson, the Chairman of the Magistrates said to Norris when sentencing him, "It is clear this was a sophisticated fraud. If we were the original sentencing bench you would be going into custody. This may be your first offence but there are strict guidelines and the custody threshold has been passed. However we are bound by what our colleagues said on the last occasion. They have given you credit for an early guilty plea which has probably saved you".
Norris was sentenced to twelve months Community Punishment Order to include 300 hours unpaid work and he was further ordered to pay prosecution costs of £713.50.
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