A Wisbech resident who claimed more than £7,000 in Housing Benefit and Council Tax benefit has been found guilty of fraud following a trial lasting a day and a half at Wisbech Magistrates Court.
Fenland District Council investigators found that her husband was living with her throughout the period of her claim despite declaring herself as a single parent.
Zdenka Kanalosova came to the UK around April 2007. Her husband, Juraj Kanalos, had arrived from the Czech Republic just a few months earlier seeking to find work and a home for them to settle in.
It was claimed in court that they separated after only a few weeks living in the UK although no verifiable address could be provided for him. In December 2007, Mrs Kanalosova moved to Grosvenor Road as a private tenant and successfully claimed Housing Benefit and Council Tax benefit from the council, saying she was a single parent.
In late 2008 Council investigators acted upon a tip-off which suggested that Mrs Kanalosova was still living with her husband. They uncovered a number of links between Mr Kanalos and the Grosvenor Road address, including his banking details, loan applications, his car and his employment details. In addition, an undercover surveillance operation carried out between February and March this year showed Mr Kanalos coming and going from the property at all times of day and night.
In delivering the guilty verdict, the magistrates referred to the "overwhelming" prosecution evidence, the "inconsistent" account given by Mrs Kanalosova and the "evasive" nature of her husband in giving evidence.
The case was adjourned to January 15 for sentencing. Magistrates warned Mrs Kanalosova that all options were being considered, including a custodial sentence.
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