Melanie Comerford and her husband Raymond Barton, both from Malpas, falsely claimed £88,502 in benefits between 1999 and 2007, including £65,027 worth of income support, £21,183 in housing benefits and £2,292 in council tax benefits.
Judge Dafydd Lloyd Hughes sentenced the couple to 52 weeks in prison, suspended for two years. He said this was because they had previous good character and was concerned about the couple’s two teenage children, particularly their son who has diabetes and epilepsy.
The couple got into difficulties after Barton ran up a debt of £50,000 through credit cards and loans when the couple split up. They separated after the first eight months of their marriage and Barton left the family home and began a relationship with another woman.
The couple reunited in May 2003 and wanted to buy a house and pay off Barton’s debts. This ambition to buy a house fuelled their benefit claims. They stayed together and now live together in privately rented accommodation after their house was eventually repossessed.
Comerford filled in a number of forms over those years stating she was single and a lone parent despite her being married to Barton since May 1997. On a form in October 2006, Comerford said she was living in a property belonging to Barton, who she said was her cousin, and Barton signed the form agreeing to this.
So far they have paid back just £1,500. The DWP said after the hearing the couple will now have to pay all of the money back - at a rate which is yet to be agreed.
Comerford has type one diabetes and suffers from chronic asthma. Barton has Crohn's disease and recently had a left knee replacement which he has never recovered from.
The couple were ordered to each follow a supervision requirement for 12 months and to do a future skills programme. They were also ordered to each pay £300 towards prosecution costs at a rate of £5 a week.
A hard case, but punishment is still necessary.
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