Benefits thief caught through her facebook

A young mum ended up in court for benefit fraud after investigators used Facebook to build a case against her.

Bristol City Council officers started to investigate mum-of- three Tara Denley, 22, after an anonymous tip-off from one of her online 'friends'.

Accessing her profile page on the social networking site, they discovered she claimed nearly £6,000 of benefits she was not entitled to.

On Wednesday, Facebook announced it was to simplify privacy settings because members had said they were unsure about how public their information had become.

At Bristol Magistrates' Court on the same day, Denley pleaded guilty to failing to notify the city council about a change of circumstances in that her partner David Sugrue was living with her at council property in Wharncliffe Close, Hengrove.

She also pleaded guilty to failing to inform the Department of Work and Pensions of the same offence.

Denley was given a six-month community order with supervision. She was also ordered to pay Bristol City Council £500 compensation and costs of £500.

But speaking after the case she told the Evening Post: "I understand that they have to carry out investigations but I feel violated by the way they have accessed Facebook.

"They had pictures of my kids on their file but my Facebook account is set up so only my friends can see them. I don't want those pictures to be seen by anybody because there are paedophiles out there.

"The solicitor at court said it was the first time she had seen Facebook used to gather information and said I could ring up housing if I wanted to make a complaint which I will do.

"I only pleaded guilty because they used everything on the site and turned it against me. I just wanted to get it over and back to looking after my three children."

During the case Jane Astbury, prosecuting, an investigation started after an anonymous tip-off on the council's 'hot-line' in January, 2009.

She said it was discovered that between July 3, 2008 and March 31, 2009, Denley had been overpaid £3,088.92 in housing benefit, £2,350.85 in income support and £507.99 in council tax credits.

Miss Astbury said that investigators accessed her Facebook account to help build a case.

She said: "A search was made on social networking site Facebook that established the defendant had given birth and that the child had her partner's surname. The site also indicated that she was engaged to David Sugrue.

"The birth certificate was obtained and the defendant's partner's name was listed as the father.

"Several posts on Facebook indicated the couple were together and in a relationship."

When officers interviewed her Denley admitted she had been engaged to Sugrue since December 2008 but said that he spent just two nights a week at her property.

She said he did see the children every day but claimed that he didn't keep any clothes at the house and assumed that he stayed in his car on other nights.

Denley said they had made joint credit applications because it was the only way she could get a car.

Sentencing Denley, now of Torrington Avenue, Knowle, chair of magistrates Ian Brailey told her: "The council loses out again and the rest of us, that is the taxpayer, have to make up the rest."